Chronic extracellular recording of fetal medullary neuronal activity

A technique for chronic extracellular recording of neuronal activity in the medullary region of fetal sheep during different sleep states is described. Of 51 recorded neurones, 54% were associated with respiration, blood pressure changes, or muscle electromyograms, and 46% were nonspecific. During apnea (nonrapid-eye-movement sleep) both inspiratory and expiratory neurons had random intermittent activity. Thus apnea is not associated with tonic expiratory neuronal activity.