MJ sleep deprived

DOCTOR'S ORDERS: An expert witness in the endless Michael Jackson wrongful-death trial says the constant administration of propofol by Dr. Conrad Murray caused a lethal deficit of REM sleep in the star. Dr. Charles Czeisler, whose testimony continues today, told the jury on Thursday that REM (rapid-eye movement) cycles are crucial for brain health. Propofol, however, which was allegedly used for 60 straight days by Murray to keep the troubled star on his feet for a planned 2009 tour, tricks the brain and body into feeling refreshed without REM sleep. If indeed Jackson went 60 days in this altered state, Czeisler argued, he would've died soon under any circumstances; the physician likened chronic use to eating "cellulose pellets" that would make you feel full but would result in starvation. The medical witness described REM-deficit symptoms similar to those noted in AEG Live emails made public during the trial: paranoia, anxiety, depression and sloppiness. The picture that emerged from Czeisler's assessment was of a cruel medical experiment gone horribly awry. Which raises the disturbing possibility that Jackson's ghost lied when he told the medium who told the psychic who told Randy Phillips that the death was accidental. (6/21p)