Modification of body temperature and sleep state using behavioral conditioning.
Previous research has demonstrated the conditionability of events within the acute-phase response. This study examined whether two such responses, fever and sleep alterations, were conditionable in the rat during the dark photoperiod. The experimental animals were administered a novel saccharin solution as the conditioned stimulus (CS) in conjunction with lipopolysaccharide as the unconditioned stimulus (UCS). This group displayed significantly higher body temperatures than controls upon saccharin representation, 7 days after the original CS-UCS pairing. The experimental animals additionally displayed a conditioned increase in slow wave sleep (SWS); however, the LPS-induced reduction in rapid eye movement (REM) sleep was unable to be reenlisted. Similar to the acute-response, the conditioned alteration in SWS appeared to be due to an increase in episode frequency, rather than duration. These results suggest that the multiple acute-phase events may be simultaneously conditionable, producing an optimum environment for pathogen elimination.
Exton
M S
MS
Department of Psychology, University of Newcastle, Australia.
Bull
D F
DF
King
M G
MG
Husband
A J
AJ
D000210:Acute-Phase Reaction / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology; D000818:Animals; D001831:Body Temperature / Q000502:physiology*; D003216:Conditioning, Operant / Q000502:physiology*; D004567:Electrodes, Implanted; D004569:Electroencephalography; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats; D012439:Saccharin / Q000494:pharmacology; D012890:Sleep / Q000502:physiology*; D012895:Sleep, REM / Q000502:physiology; D013649:Taste / Q000502:physiology
D008070:Lipopolysaccharides; D012439:Saccharin