Earlier lesion and imaging studies in humans, as well as electrophysiological recordings in other animals, have suggested an important role for the thalamus during slow wave sleep (SWS). This structure has been shown to undergo disfacilitation and active inhibition during SWS, changing its firing pattern and thus altering sensory afference to the cortex during this state. / Regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) decreases are reported in the human thalamus in association with delta (1-4 Hz) and, even further, with spindle (12-15 Hz) wave activity during SWS. These results support the physiological changes purported to occur in the thalamus during this state. We also found rCBF decreases in association with delta in the brainstem reticular formation, cerebellum, anterior cingulate and orbito-frontal cortex. These changes, together with the thalamic decreases, might provide the physiological substrate for the progressive attenuation of sensory awareness and motor activity that occur during SWS. Regional CBF increases as a function of delta activity were found mainly in the visual and auditory cortices, possibly supporting dream-like imagery during SWS.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:LACETR/oai:collectionscanada.gc.ca:QMM.27529 |
| Date | January 1997 |
| Creators | Hofle Lindenberg, Nina. |
| Contributors | Jones, Barbara E. (advisor), Paus, Tomas (advisor), Evans, Alan C. (advisor) |
| Publisher | McGill University |
| Source Sets | Library and Archives Canada ETDs Repository / Centre d'archives des thèses électroniques de Bibliothèque et Archives Canada |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Electronic Thesis or Dissertation |
| Format | application/pdf |
| Coverage | Master of Science (Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery.) |
| Rights | All items in eScholarship@McGill are protected by copyright with all rights reserved unless otherwise indicated. |
| Relation | alephsysno: 001601558, proquestno: MQ37128, Theses scanned by UMI/ProQuest. |
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