Function of GABAB and ρ-containing GABAA receptors (GABAC receptors) in the regulation of basic and higher integrated sleep-waking processes

Abstract

Inhibitory processes have long been considered crucial for brain functioning. While early studies focused on GABAA receptor influences, nowadays research has expanded our knowledge of the inhibitory processes that specifically regulate waking and sleep by including GABAB and the more recently discovered ρ-containing GABAA (GABAC) receptors as well. The main results have shown that both GABAB and GABAC receptor antagonists increase waking and decrease slow-wave sleep. In contrast, while GABAB receptor antagonists increase REM sleep, GABAC receptor antagonists inhibit it.