Autoradiographic analysis of regional brain glucose utilization in chronically monitored unanesthetized fetal sheep

This communication describes the successful qualitative differential labeling, utilizing 2-[14C]deoxyglucose, of brain structures in a healthy, non-breathing chronic fetal sheep preparation in late gestation. This preliminary result suggests that during quiet sleep (non-breathing state) the fetal sheep may be processing a variety of sensory input from the auditory, vestibular, and olfactory systems at a thalamic, limbic system level.