title: Effect of Electrical Stimulation of the Nucleus of the Solitary Tract on Electroencephalographic Spectral Power and the Sleep-Wake Cycle in Freely Moving Cats.
abstract: The nucleus of the solitary tract (NTS) plays a determinant role in the antiepileptic effects of vagus nerve stimulation (VNS). One mechanism underlying the efficacy of VNS is the induction of cortical changes, detected by electroencephalogram (EEG), which can be mediated by the NTS through its projections to the cerebral nuclei responsible for modulating cortical activity. The effect of the electrical stimulation of the nucleus of the solitary tract (ENTS) on EEG activity and sleep states in freely moving animals is unknown.
  
  
  
  This study aims to analyze the effects of ENTS on the EEG spectral power and sleep-wake cycle in freely moving cats.
  
  
  
  EEG was performed on the left amygdala and both pre-frontal cortices for 23 hours under baseline conditions and with ENTS in freely moving cats. The changes induced by ENTS on the EEG spectral power and the architecture of the sleep-wake cycle were analyzed.
  
  
  
  ENTS increased the theta and beta band power for 12 hours. Furthermore, an increase in wakefulness occurred in the first six hours, followed by an increase in the total time of rapid eye movement (REM) sleep.
  
  
  
  ENTS produces a long-lasting increase in the theta and beta band power, which favors wakefulness and REM sleep in freely moving cats.
authors.affiliation: Laboratorio de Neurofisiología del Control y la Regulación, Dirección de Investigaciones en Neurociencias, Instituto Nacional de Psiquiatría Ramón de la Fuente Muñiz, Mexico. Electronic address: davmv@imp.edu.mx.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Martínez-Vargas
authors.affiliation: Laboratorio de Neurofisiología del Control y la Regulación, Dirección de Investigaciones en Neurociencias, Instituto Nacional de Psiquiatría Ramón de la Fuente Muñiz, Mexico.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Valdés-Cruz
authors.affiliation: Laboratorio de Neurofisiología del Control y la Regulación, Dirección de Investigaciones en Neurociencias, Instituto Nacional de Psiquiatría Ramón de la Fuente Muñiz, Mexico.
authors.forename: V M
authors.initials: VM
authors.lastname: Magdaleno-Madrigal
authors.affiliation: Laboratorio de Neurofisiología del Control y la Regulación, Dirección de Investigaciones en Neurociencias, Instituto Nacional de Psiquiatría Ramón de la Fuente Muñiz, Mexico.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Fernández-Mas
authors.affiliation: Laboratorio de Neurofisiología del Control y la Regulación, Dirección de Investigaciones en Neurociencias, Instituto Nacional de Psiquiatría Ramón de la Fuente Muñiz, Mexico.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Almazán-Alvarado
mesh_terms: D000679:Amygdala / Q000502:physiology; D000818:Animals; D001479:Basal Ganglia / Q000502:physiology; D058256:Brain Waves / Q000502:physiology*; D002415:Cats; D004558:Electric Stimulation / Q000379:methods; D004569:Electroencephalography / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D009068:Movement / Q000502:physiology*; D012890:Sleep / Q000502:physiology; D012895:Sleep, REM / Q000502:physiology*; D017552:Solitary Nucleus / Q000502:physiology*; D055536:Vagus Nerve Stimulation / Q000379:methods; D014851:Wakefulness / Q000502:physiology*
keywords: Electrical stimulation of the nucleus of the solitary tract; Nucleus of the solitary tract; Power spectrum; Sleep–wake cycle; Vagus nerve stimulation