suspect that the influences of melatonin are very integrated with pinoline. There seems to be very little known about pinoline. It's interesting to say the least and nearly neglected in studies about melatonin. Most research I've read about on pinoline are from opthamologists and cancer research. And none the less...metabolism does go down in the presence of increased melatonin secretion verses increased metabolic rate when melatonin levels are decreased, which may also be when pinoline levels are known to increase.
I don't know about the influence of pinoline. At this point it would simply be conjecture.
Some metabolism decreases during sleep, yes. Melatonin is involved in a general sense in sleep. But if you give someone melatonin there is no research I am aware of that demonstrates a direct effect of melatonin on metabolism. Any relationship between the two is, therefore, indirect at best and more probably you see only a correlation since sleep initiation is a very complex process that does not depend critically on melatonin.
The pineal gland reaches behind it and is center to the thalami halves. Look at any structures of the human brain that clearly show both organs. I may have been too laxed in describing that.
It is centered between the two halves of the brain. It is not particularly related to the thalamus, but is considered part of an epithalamic system.
Interestingly that stalk also contains what I know to be the corpora quadreginema (spell?). This is what the pineal sits on and the stalk connects to the cerebellum. From what I’ve recently read, it’s got something to do with moving the eyes. This structure in whole, from the cerebellum to the pineal gland look to be one mechanism split into parts working together with the pineal gland sending information to the cerebellum from the thalami. The corpora quadreginema, according to an illustration of the brain I have in a little medical dictionary, has a major sensory nerve that outputs straight to muscle. I’m not very familiar with the names of these nerves…vegan??? Bio classes this coming fall, so I'll be a bit more up on the terminology here.
I assume you mean the quadrigeminal plate. The stalk of the pineal is not the quadrigeminal plate. The quadrigeminal plate is the tectum that I referred to earlier -- it is the posterior aspect of the midbrain. The stalk of the pineal is just that -- it's stalk -- by which it attaches to the rest of the brain.
The tectum is a different system entirely that is not related to pineal function particularly. The superior colliculus is the upper set of bumps on the quadrigeminal plate and is, indeed, involved in eye movements -- particularly moving the eyes in the vertical plane (hence my discussion earlier in the thread). The clinical importance of the pineal gland is that when tumors grow in it, they may press on this area and cause a clinical condition known as Perinaud's syndrome, which includes among other things the inability to look up.
The relationship with the cerebellum is completely indirect. I think you are making an assumption based on the way pictures are drawn showing these structures. The cerebellum does not receive any input to the pineal gland, nor does the pineal gland receive any input from the cerebellum as far as I know (there is a relationship between the cerebellum and the superior, but not the inferior, colliculus). They are entirely different.
The bottom bumps on that quadrigeminal plate are the inferior colliculi -- they are involved in hearing.
The removal of pineals you've given reference to that I’ve read so far are weak in the survival rate. Most of the subjects do die. Others are maintained with melatonin supplements then destroyed after the experiment. I’ve yet to come across an article about a complete removal from a person who is still alive and functional. Tumors are removed…thus leads to…
The animals were sacrificed. The pineal is not necessary for survival. This is one of the primary bits of evidence to show just how wrong Descartes was about it.
Which that in itself leads to the transition between wake and sleep regardless of any other influences for the transition between stage one sleep and stage two sleep and from stage two to stage three and four and then to REM. Then the same transition that took place between wake and sleep happen again in reverse…between sleep and wake.
But, what I am trying to tell you is that you are drawing unwarranted conclusions from the fact that melatonin plays a vague role in the timing of sleep and the phenomenon of sleep paralysis. Remove the pineal and you don't see any effect on sleep paralysis.
Melatonin is, once again, involved not in sleep initiation but in the timing of when sleep occurs. Remove it and people may sleep at otherwise odd times -- not as bad as if the suprachiasmatic nucleus were involved, but not necessarily linked properly to the light-dark cycle. Sleep initiation (transitions between the waking state and sleep) and transitions among the different sleep stages is not ruled by melatonin or the pineal gland. Kids who have their pineal gland removed continue to sleep, continue to initiate sleep, continue to transition between sleep states, continue to awaken; and their metabolism is otherwise fine. They may have other problems related to surgery to remove the tumor that initiated the process and they are not completely normal (and they may sleep at odd times), but they do not die of pineal removal and they do not suddenly stay awake all the time.
One of the more significant factors in the more rare forms of sleep paralysis is the sensory experience involved and this is where I focus because of the ESP activity that occurs, to stay on topic…and that is where the pineal gland is significant in its contribution. Other contributions are through its control on the rate of the metabolic system, when it slows down verses when it speeds up. Again, not metabolism itself...just its rate.
Based on what data? Are you talking about hypnapompic hallucinations? They have essentially nothing to do with the pineal gland.
You’re a scientist, aren’t you? What is your field of expertise? What degrees do you hold? Let the wheels turn. There really is something there and I wish I could just pop right out with something to show that.E]
I'm a Neurologist specializing in epilepsy. I spent a few years in sleep medicine until it bored me so much I had to stop seeing those patients. It isn't what most people think -- primarily folks with sleep apnea and insomnia from anxiety disorders.
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