Coherent neocortical gamma oscillations decrease during REM sleep in the rat

Higher cognitive functions require the integration and coordination of large populations of neurons in cortical and subcortical regions. Oscillations in the high frequency band (30-100 Hz) of the electroencephalogram (EEG), that have been postulated to be a product of this interaction, are involved in the binding of spatially separated but temporally correlated neural events, which results in a unified perceptual experience. The extent of this functional connectivity can be examined by means of the mathematical algorithm called "coherence", which is correlated with the "strength" of functional interactions between cortical areas. As a continuation of previous studies in the cat [6,7], the present study was conducted to analyze EEG coherence in the gamma band of the rat during wakefulness (W), non-REM (NREM) sleep and REM sleep. Rats were implanted with electrodes in different cortical areas to record EEG activity, and the magnitude squared coherence values within the gamma frequency band of EEG (30-48 and 52-100 Hz) were determined. Coherence between all cortical regions in the low and high gamma frequency bands was greater during W compared with sleep. Remarkably, EEG coherence in the low and high gamma bands was smallest during REM sleep. We conclude that high frequency interactions between cortical areas are radically different during sleep and wakefulness in the rat. Since this feature is conserved in other mammals, including humans, we suggest that the uncoupling of gamma frequency activity during REM sleep is a defining trait of REM sleep in mammals.