AJP - Regulatory, Integrative and Comparative Physiology, Vol 269, Issue 3 691-R701, Copyright © 1995 by American Physiological Society

ARTICLES

Varying photoperiod in the laboratory rat: profound effect on 24-h sleep pattern but no effect on sleep homeostasis

P. Franken, I. Tobler and A. A. Borbely
Institute of Pharmacology, University of Zurich, Switzerland.

To assess the influence of the photoperiod on sleep regulation, laboratory rats were adapted to a long photoperiod (LPP; 16:8-h light-dark cycle, LD 16:8) or a short photoperiod (SPP; LD 8:16). The electroencephalogram (EEG) and cortical temperature (TCRT) were continuously recorded for a baseline day, a 24-h sleep deprivation (SD) period, and a recovery day. Data obtained previously for LD 12:12 served for comparison. Whereas the photoperiod exerted a prominent effect on the 24-h sleep pattern, the 24-h baseline level of sleep and the response to SD were little affected. Recovery from SD was characterized by a marked rise in rapid eye movement sleep, a moderate rise in non-rapid eye movement sleep, and an initial enhancement of EEG slow-wave activity followed by a decrease below baseline. The amplitude and phase of the "unmasked" 24-h component of TCRT did not differ between LPP and SPP. Computer simulations demonstrated that the changes of TCRT and EEG slow-wave activity can be largely accounted for by the sequence of the vigilance states. We conclude that the photoperiod does not affect the basic processes underlying sleep regulation.

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