[Hypnogenic effect of antibodies to myelin basic protein administered intraventricularly]

Intraventricular administration of myelin basic protein amtibodies in rabbits evoked high-amplitude slow waves in the ECoG, the animal takes a characteristic sleep posture, muscular tension weakens, the nictitating membrane lowers down, and the respiratory rhythm becomes stable. Spontaneous activity and arousal as well as recruiting responses induced by electrical stimulation of the thalamic CM in the cortical and thalamic structures suggest that the state resulting from the anti-BP antibodies administration is similar to slow wave sleep. The effect of anti-BP antibodies administration seems to be due to direct influence upon synaptic events in the thalamic "sleep-inducing" structures.