Effects of REM Sleep Deprivation on the Triggering Threshold of Each Seizure Stage in Feline Amygdaloid Kindling

Ryuzo Kawahara, Yutaka Hamazaki, Kazuyoshi Matsuda, Hisayoshi Takeshita and Hidebumi Hazama

Department of Neuro-Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, Tottori University, Yonago 683, Japan

The effect of REM sleep deprivation (RD) on the triggering threshold of each seizure stage in cat amygdaloid kindling (AM-K) was studied. RD for 12 h (12-h RD) was performed by applying the platform procedure at Stages 2 and 4, and immediately after RD the triggering threshold of each seizure stage was measured. At Stage 6 of AM-K, 12-h RD and 72-h RD were performed, and the triggering threshold of Stage 6 (the generalized seizure triggering threshold GST) was measured. As a result of the platform procedure employed in this study, the %REM decreased significantly to 2% of the baseline level (P < 0.01). The results were as follows: i) The seizure triggering threshold of Stage 2 after 12-h RD showed a significant decrease (P < 0.01). ii) The triggering threshold of Stage 4 after 12-h RD showed no significant change. iii) No change in the GST after 12- and 72-h RD was observed. The above results indicate that RD has a marked effect in the earlier stages (Stage 2), but no effect in the later stages (Stages 4 and 6).

Key words: amygdaloid kindling; cats; platform procedure; REM deprivation; triggering threshold of each kindling stage

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