title: The ontogeny of spontaneous skin potential responses in kittens.
abstract: The evolution of frequency and amplitude of spontaneous skin potential responses (SPRs) was studied in kittens from birth to 30 days. Results showed that: i) at birth, electrodermal activity is very low, and significantly lower than in adults; ii) the evolution of electrodermal activity is rapid, the adult level being reached by the end of the third week. Frequency and amplitude evolve at approximately the same rate; iii) SPRs recorded on the forepaw were significantly more frequent and larger than those for the hindpaw up to 13 days; iv) changes in electrodermal activity as a function of sleep and waking showed that sleep is characterized by a moderate decrease of SPR amplitude and by a pronounced decrease in SPR frequency. The results are discussed in terms of maturation of the central nervous system.
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire de Psychophysiologie, CNRS-UA 308, Université de Lille I, France.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Delerm
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Delsaut
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Freixa
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Baqué
authors.forename: J C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Roy
mesh_terms: D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology*; D000818:Animals; D002415:Cats; D005121:Extremities / Q000254:growth & development / Q000294:innervation / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D005712:Galvanic Skin Response / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D012867:Skin / Q000254:growth & development / Q000294:innervation*; D012879:Skin Physiological Phenomena