GoKawiilResearchers identify rare cortical neurons that can trigger sleep in mice
Scientists at Albert Einstein College of Medicine identified a small population of cortical inhibitory neurons, called Sst-Chodl cells, that make up about one percent of the cortex's inhibitory neurons. Activating these cells in mice was enough to induce sleep, showing the cortex itself can generate slow-wave sleep rhythms rather than merely responding to signals from deeper brain regions. The team spent years developing a genetic labeling method precise enough to isolate this rare cell type from more abundant, similar neurons.
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This overturns the long-held view that sleep is driven entirely by subcortical structures, giving the cortex an active role in initiating sleep states. Pinpointing these specific neurons could open new avenues for understanding and treating sleep disorders by targeting cortical circuits directly rather than only deep-brain pathways.
- Sst-Chodl neurons make up roughly one percent of cortical inhibitory cells but can trigger sleep when activated.
- The findings challenge the assumption that sleep signals originate solely in subcortical brain regions.
- Isolating these neurons required a novel dual-gene targeting strategy developed over several years.
Source: arstechnica.com, 2026-09-18
Published there as: “Finding the cells that put our brain to sleep”
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