A peculiar rhythmic EEG activity from ventrobasal thalamus during paradoxical sleep in man

A peculiar 3/sec rhythmic EEG activity (named Vc rhythm) was consistently found at the ventrobasal thalamus (nucleus ventrocaudalis) during paradoxical sleep of patients with implanted electrodes used as an electrophysiological procedure for identification of the thalamic targets for the surgical treatment of tremor and rigidity. The Vc rhythm was formed by high voltage, sharp biphasic positive negative potentials which were absent during wakefulness, rare and isolated during slow wave sleep, increased in number and organized in trains during paradoxical sleep and blocked during arousal. Significant changes in number of Vc waves were found when patients shifted through these wakefulness-sleep states. Integrated EMG multiple unit activity also showed significant changes during these wakefulness-sleep shifts, which were parallel although inverse to those showed by Vc waves. A significant negative correlation (r = -0.7126) between number of Vc waves and EMG units was found. In contrast, Vc waves showed no correlation with other electrophysiological indicators of thalamic excitability (multiple unit activity and early evoked potentials) and sleep (scalp EEG frequency and ocular movements).