title: Thermosensitive neurons of the diagonal band in rats: relation to wakefulness and non-rapid eye movement sleep.
abstract: The thermosensitivity of the neurons in the diagonal band of Broca (DBB) was studied in 12 freely moving rats by determining responses to local cooling or warming with a water perfused thermode. Of 151 neurons studied, 37 (25%) neurons met the criterion for thermosensitivity including 17 warm-sensitive (WSNs) and 20 cold-sensitive neurons (CSNs). The spontaneous discharge rates of WSNs and CSNs were recorded through 1-3 sleep-waking cycles. The discharge of WSNs and CSNs during waking and non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep were different. Of 17 WSNs, 10 exhibited increased discharge rates during NREM sleep as compared with waking (NREM/Wake discharge ratio, > 1.2). Of 20 CSNs, 14 discharged more slowly during NREM sleep as compared with waking (NREM/Wake discharge ratio, < 0.8). In both WSNs and CSNs, changes in discharge rate preceded EEG changes at the waking-NREM transition. These results support a hypothesis that the activation of sleep-related WSNs and the deactivation of wake-related CSNs play a role in the onset and regulation of NREM sleep.
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Sepulveda, CA 91343, USA.
authors.forename: M N
authors.initials: MN
authors.lastname: Alam
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: McGinty
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Szymusiak
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003080:Cold Temperature; D004569:Electroencephalography; D004576:Electromyography; D005625:Frontal Lobe / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology*; D006358:Hot Temperature; D008297:Male; D009474:Neurons / Q000502:physiology*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D012894:Sleep Stages / Q000502:physiology*; D013697:Thermosensing / Q000502:physiology*; D014851:Wakefulness / Q000502:physiology*