Molecular Circuits Regulating Sleep and Wakeful Consciousness
A special issue of International Journal of Molecular Sciences (ISSN 1422-0067). This special issue belongs to the section "Molecular Neurobiology".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (28 February 2022) | Viewed by 27140
Special Issue Editors
Interests: sleep; motivation; arousal; sleep function; neural circuits; opto-biology/pharmacology
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
The sleep field has recently witnessed an exponential increase in the understanding of brain circuitries regulating sleep/wake behavior. However, it remains puzzling that brain circuits’ switching occurs within seconds, while sleep regulation (i.e., the process of the accumulation/dissipation of sleep need) takes hours. The teleological problem of sleep regulation and function arises from the presumption of sleep’s evolution from a default state of waking. Humans are likely biased towards this presumption by the egocentricity of waking consciousness. The goal of the Special Issue is to gather original research and review articles relevant to the control of non-rapid eye movement (non-REM), REM sleep, or wakeful consciousness. We are especially seeking contributions that shed light on mechanisms underlying key aspects of the sleep states, such as sleep need; the circadian, ultradian, or behavioral gating of sleep; and REM sleep homeostasis. We are open to articles that use innovative techniques to study the detailed circuit and synaptic basis of sleep/wake control, for example, electrophysiological recording or imaging used in combination with pharmacologic or the genetically driven perturbation of defined sets of neurons or glial cells in all animals that have the ability to sleep or exhibit a sleep-like behavior. We also welcome studies on the molecular profiling of sleep and wake states or the crosstalk between sleep and peripheral physiological systems (e.g., immune system or metabolism), as well as studies about physical and chemical factors that influence sleep and wakefulness.
Prof. Dr. Michael Lazarus
Dr. Wang Yi-Qun
Guest Editors
Manuscript Submission Information
Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.
Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. International Journal of Molecular Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.
Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. There is an Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal. For details about the APC please see here. Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.
Keywords
- sleep
- sleep function
- glia–neuron interaction
- molecular circuits
- sleep homeostasis
- arousal
- slow-wave sleep
- REM sleep
- physical or chemical sleep/wake factors
Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue
- Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
- Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
- Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
- External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
- e-Book format: Special Issues with more than 10 articles can be published as dedicated e-books, ensuring wide and rapid dissemination.
Further information on MDPI's Special Issue polices can be found here.