Sleep firing rate homeostasis is disrupted in mild parkinsonism
Reduction in neuronal firing from wake to sleep, i.e., sleep firing rate homeostasis (sFRH), is essential for restorative sleep. Sleep dysfunction is common in Parkinson's disease (PD), but sFRH has not been investigated. Here, using a within-subject design in the nonhuman primate model of PD, we report that thalamocortical sFRH is disrupted in parkinsonism. These findings can inform therapeutic approaches tailored to normalize sFRH and reestablish restorative sleep in PD.
Authors
- Ethan A. Marshall (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8600-6336)
- Bharadwaj Nandakumar (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7667-5608)
- Jerrold L. Vitek (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2308-6535)
- Adele L. DeNicola
- Jing Wang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2891-670X)
- Lisa M. Johnson
- Ying Yu
- Ajay K. Verma
- Colum D. MacKinnon
- Michael J. Howell
Institutions
- University of Minnesota (US)
Publication Details
- Journal
- npj Parkinson s Disease
- Published
- 2026-01-21
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1038/s41531-025-01256-w
- Primary Topic
- Sleep and Wakefulness Research
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00
Funders
- National Institutes of Health
- National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke