Chronic stimulation of the cat vagus nerve: effect on sleep and behavior.
The effect of electrical vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) on sleep and behavior was analyzed in freely moving cats. Eight cats were prepared for 23-h sleep recordings. The left vagus nerve of four of them was stimulated during 1 min, five times at 1-h intervals, for 5 days. The VNS induces: ipsilateral myosis, blinking, licking, abdominal contractions, upward gaze, swallowing, and eventually yawning and compulsive eating, as well as an increase of ponto-geniculate-occipital (PGO) wave density and of the number of stages and total amount of rapid eye movement (REM) sleep. Besides, there was a sudden transition from waking stage to REM sleep. The present results suggest that VNS modifies sleep in the cat. This effect could be explained by an activation of the areas involved in the physiological mechanisms of sleep.
Valdés-Cruz
Alejandro
A
Neuroscience Research Division, Instituto Nacional de Psiquiatría SSA, Calz. México-Xochimilco, Mexico DF. alevalc@imp.edu.mx
Magdaleno-Madrigal
Victor M
VM
Martínez-Vargas
David
D
Fernández-Mas
Rodrigo
R
Almazán-Alvarado
Salvador
S
Martínez
Adrian
A
Fernández-Guardiola
Augusto
A
D000818:Animals; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000502:physiology*; D002415:Cats; D004558:Electric Stimulation; D005071:Evoked Potentials / Q000502:physiology; D005403:Fixation, Ocular; D008297:Male; D023421:Models, Animal; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000502:physiology; D012890:Sleep / Q000502:physiology*; D012895:Sleep, REM / Q000502:physiology*; D014630:Vagus Nerve / Q000502:physiology*