Sleep-wake stages during the subjective night of the squirrel monkey.
The study of the circadian sleep-wake cycle is beset by unique technical challenges. Continuous polygraphic recordings are necessary to characterize circadian phenomena; however, the traditional method of recording sleep at high (15 mm/sec) chart speed is impractical for continuous animal studies that may last several weeks at a stretch. A system to determine four sleep-wake stages (awake, transitional, non-REM, REM) from low chart speed (1.5 mm/sec) recordings was developed and validated by direct behavioral observation using four adult male squirrel monkeys prepared for chronic recording of EEG, EOG and EMG. The polygraphic stages "transitional," non-REM and REM were highly correlated with behavioral observations of sleep, although individual sleep stages could not be resolved by behavioral parameters alone.
D000818:Animals; D004569:Electroencephalography; D004576:Electromyography; D004585:Electrooculography; D008297:Male; D012453:Saimiri; D012894:Sleep Stages / Q000502:physiology*; D012895:Sleep, REM / Q000502:physiology; D014851:Wakefulness / Q000502:physiology*