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Sleep-wake Behaviour in Rats: The Link between Ultradian Rhythms and Sleep Homeostasis

The underlying mechanism for the origin of ultradian rhythms is not clearly understood at present. Based on a recent study from our laboratory, we have conceptualized a model for the origin of quasiperiodic ultradian rhythms in sleep-wake state. This model hypothesizes that the ultradian rhythms of sleep-wake state may be generated by a mechanism that includes the sleep-wake homeostat. The main purpose of the present study was to test the hypothesis that sleep homeostasis and sleep-wake ultradian rhythms share a common underlying mechanism. The present study has refuted that hypothesis. I conclude that: (1) the proposed model for the generation of quasiperiodic ultradian rhythms in sleep-wake state in mammals is overly simplistic in its present form, (2) the generation of ultradian rhythms in sleep-wake state probably arise from a more complex systemic interactions between the sleep-wake oscillatory network and other internal/external inputs, rather than the simple expression of sleep homeostat.

Identiferoai:union.ndltd.org:TORONTO/oai:tspace.library.utoronto.ca:1807/43084
Date04 December 2013
CreatorsLim, Joonbum
ContributorsStephenson, Richard
Source SetsUniversity of Toronto
Languageen_ca
Detected LanguageEnglish
TypeThesis

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