Unihemispheric sleep and asymmetrical sleep: behavioral, neurophysiological, and functional perspectives

摘要: Sleep is a behavior characterized by typical body posture, both eyes’ closure, raised sensory threshold, distinctive electrographic signs, and marked decrease of motor activity. In addition, sleep periodically necessary therefore, in the majority animals, it involves whole brain body. However, certain marine mammals species birds show different behavior, which one cerebral hemisphere sleeps while other awake. dolphins, eared seals, manatees, unihemispheric allows them to have benefits sleep, breathing, thermoregulation, vigilance. birds, antipredation vigilance main function but domestic chicks, also associated with lateralization or dominance control behavior. Compared bihemispheric would mean reduction time spent sleeping recovery processes. health aquatic does not seem at all impaired sleep. The neural mechanisms are unknown, assuming that structures involved cetaceans, similar those terrestrial mammals, suggested they involve interaction hypothalamus, basal forebrain, stem. promoting wakefulness dominate side brain, predominates side. For only way seals events intermingled rapid eye movement events. Electroencephalogram hemispheric asymmetries reported during awakening, onset, as well being use-dependent process (local sleep).