Serotonin neurons and sleep. I. Long term recordings of dorsal raphe discharge frequency and PGO waves.

摘要: Brain stem transection studies suggest that pontine neurons play a key role in regulating the mammalian sleep cycle. The serotonin (5-HT) hypothesis originally postulated 5-HT containing directly initiated and maintained synchronized or NREM "primed" rapid eye movement (REM) sleep. Contrary to predictions of this hypothesis, single unit recordings from serotonergic dorsal raphe nucleus (DRN) have uniformly shown DRN discharge rate is positively correlated with behavioral arousal but negatively both REM phases These findings required revision original suggested instead may influence maintenance and, by ceasing discharge, contribute generation purpose paper was quantitatively assess strength correlation between sleep, PGO waves following experimental perturbations Since forced locomotor activity known powerfully alter timing wakefulness, present experiments used an attempt dissociate It hypothesized such dissociations would not involved cycle regulation. Contrastingly, preserved correlations support possible causal relationship activity, wakefulness. Extracellular were obtained cells intact, undrugged cats across greater than 300 cycles durations ranging about 8 80 mins. Forced significantly reduced amount time spent wakefulness increased number duration epochs. results revealed altered as function duration. In no case, however, able completely characteristic rates ultradian inability disrupt faithful relationships waves, phase thus provides new form correlative evidence consistent