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Operant control of ambient temperature during sleep deprivation
P J Shaw1, B M Bergmann, A Rechtschaffen
1Department of Psychiatry, University of Chicago, Illinois 60637, USA.
The American Journal of Physiology
|February 1, 1997
Summary
Total sleep deprivation (TSD) in rats causes a progressive increase in their preferred ambient temperature (T(amb)), indicating a rising temperature set point (T(set)). This thermoregulatory adjustment occurs even when body temperatures are elevated.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Physiology
- Sleep Research
Background:
- Sleep deprivation significantly impacts physiological functions.
- Thermoregulation is a critical homeostatic process affected by sleep loss.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the thermoregulatory responses of rats during total sleep deprivation (TSD).
- To determine if TSD alters the temperature set point (T(set)) in rats.
Main Methods:
- Rats underwent total sleep deprivation using the disk-over-water method.
- An operant task allowed rats to control ambient temperature (T(amb)).
- Intraperitoneal (T(ip)) and brain (T(br)) temperatures were monitored.
Main Results:
- TSD rats progressively increased operant responses for heat, raising T(amb) significantly.
- TSD rats maintained elevated T(amb) even when T(ip) and T(br) were above baseline.
- A progressive increase in T(set) was suggested by T(amb) preferences across various body temperatures.
Conclusions:
- Total sleep deprivation in rats leads to a progressive increase in their temperature set point.
- This heightened T(set) drives behavioral thermoregulation to counteract hypothermia associated with sleep loss.
- Unexpectedly, survival time was reduced in TSD rats despite thermoregulatory efforts.
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