Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jan 7, 2026
10:56
Quantifying Infra-slow Dynamics of Spectral Power and Heart Rate in Sleeping Mice
Published on: August 2, 2017
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Sleep-dependent infraslow rhythms are evolutionarily conserved across reptiles and mammals
Antoine Bergel1,2,3, Julien M Schmidt2,4,5, Baptiste Barrillot4
1Institute Physics for Medicine Paris, INSERM, CNRS, ESPCI Paris, PSL University, Paris, France.
Nature Neuroscience
|December 30, 2025
Summary
A newly discovered infraslow brain rhythm during sleep is present in all studied species, from lizards to humans. This conserved rhythm
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Comparative Biology
- Evolutionary Biology
Background:
- Sleep is a fundamental biological process crucial for survival and cognitive function.
- Different sleep states, like REM and non-REM sleep, are characterized by distinct brain activity patterns.
- The evolutionary origins and conserved mechanisms of sleep across diverse species remain an active area of research.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the presence and characteristics of infraslow brain rhythms during sleep across a wide range of vertebrate species.
- To determine if infraslow brain rhythms are conserved across different vertebrate lineages, including reptiles, mammals, and birds.
- To explore the potential functional associations of infraslow brain rhythms with other physiological parameters during sleep.
Main Methods:
- Brain activity was recorded using electrophysiological methods in seven lizard species, humans, rats, and pigeons during sleep.
- Simultaneous monitoring of physiological parameters such as eye movements, muscle tone, heart rate, breathing rate, skin brightness, and cerebrovascular volume was performed.
- Data analysis focused on identifying infraslow oscillations and their temporal coupling with other physiological signals.
Main Results:
- An infraslow brain rhythm was consistently detected during sleep across all investigated species, including lizards, humans, rats, and pigeons.
- This infraslow rhythm exhibited tight coupling with various physiological parameters, including eye movements, muscle tone, heart rate, and breathing rate in lizards.
- In chameleons, the rhythm correlated with skin brightness, while in bearded dragons and mice, it was linked to cerebrovascular volume changes during specific sleep stages.
Conclusions:
- The findings demonstrate the conservation of an infraslow brain rhythm across amniotes, suggesting a fundamental role in sleep.
- The widespread presence of this rhythm challenges existing models of sleep state evolution.
- Further research is warranted to elucidate the precise function and evolutionary significance of this conserved infraslow brain rhythm in sleep.
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