Sleep EEG after daily torpor in the Djungarian hamster: similarity to the effect of sleep deprivation.
Sleep, daily torpor and hibernation are considered to be homologous processes. However, during periodic arousals from hibernation, ground squirrels spent most of the euthermic period in non-REM sleep. Therefore, it has been proposed that animals arouse regularly from hibernation to recover from a sleep deprivation (SD) incurred during hibernation. We demonstrate in the Djungarian hamster that EEG slow-wave activity (EEG power density in the 0.75-4-Hz range), which is increased after SD, is enhanced in a similar way after an episode of daily torpor. The results support the hypothesis that daily torpor is incompatible with the restorative function of sleep.
Deboer
T
T
Institute of Pharmacology, University of Zürich, Switzerland.
Tobler
I
I
D000818:Animals; D001143:Arousal / Q000502:physiology; D006224:Cricetinae; D004569:Electroencephalography; D006605:Hibernation / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D017111:Phodopus; D012890:Sleep / Q000502:physiology*; D012892:Sleep Deprivation / Q000502:physiology*