REM sleep is associated with increased activity in the cerebral cortex, midbrain, and brainstem core. Which option best represents the stage?

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Multiple Choice

REM sleep is associated with increased activity in the cerebral cortex, midbrain, and brainstem core. Which option best represents the stage?

REM sleep is the stage where the brain shows widespread cortical activation together with activity in brainstem and midbrain networks that promote REM phenomena. This pattern—desynchronized, low-amplitude mixed-frequency EEG with eye movements and muscle atonia—is characteristic of REM. In other sleep stages, the brain is less activated in this way: non-REM stages feature more synchronized, slower activity (with delta waves in deep sleep and characteristic spindles in Stage 2), and wakefulness shows high-frequency activity but lacks the REM-specific eye movements and atonia. So the described brain activity pattern best fits REM sleep.

REM sleep is the stage where the brain shows widespread cortical activation together with activity in brainstem and midbrain networks that promote REM phenomena. This pattern—desynchronized, low-amplitude mixed-frequency EEG with eye movements and muscle atonia—is characteristic of REM. In other sleep stages, the brain is less activated in this way: non-REM stages feature more synchronized, slower activity (with delta waves in deep sleep and characteristic spindles in Stage 2), and wakefulness shows high-frequency activity but lacks the REM-specific eye movements and atonia. So the described brain activity pattern best fits REM sleep.

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