An instrumental method for long-term continuous REM sleep deprivation of neonatal rats

Study Objectives: The present study describes a new method for instrumental REM sleep deprivation (RSD) of neonatal rats. Design: In the new method, a n experimental neonatal rat and a yoked control neonatal rat were singly ho used in a small plexiglass chamber which was divided into two separate unit s by a vertical wall. The floor of the housing chamber was attached to the platform of a standard laboratory test tube shaker. EEG and EMG electrodes were implanted by the soft head plug method which permitted continuous, lon g-term polysomnography. EEG and EMG signals were sent to a computer that wa s programmed to turn on the shaker for 5 seconds whenever the experimental rat entered REM sleep. Setting: NA Patients: NA Interventions: NA Results: The shaking of the chamber usually terminated REM sleep by entry t o slow-wave sleep or wake. Amount of RSD depended on the shaker's oscillati on speed. At higher speed the method reduced REM sleep by more than 80%. Conclusions: Thus, the new instrumental method of RSD can be used to study developmental functions of neonatal REM sleep. In particular, the instrumen tal method can test the hypothesis that in rats neonatal RSD produces the a dult depressogenic effect of neonatally administered clomipramine.