Continuous Performance in the Fur Seal: A Bridge to Extended Waking in Humans
Abstract
We have discovered that dolphins and killer whales go without any extended periods of sleep and without any behavioral evidence for sleep for more than 1 month after birth. This indicates that any vital functions of sleep can be performed in the waking state, even early in the developmental period, a finding that has important implications for theories of sleep function and control. We have found a marked lateralization of acetylcholine release during unihemispheric sleep. We find that acetylcholine release is maximal in active waking, is significantly lower in quiet waking, does not differ from quiet waking level in REM sleep and is minimal in USWS and BSWS. In the first ever studies of cortical Hcrt release in any animal, we find evidence for lateralized release of Hcrt, maximal on the waking side of the cortex.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Nov 29, 2007
- Accession Number
- ADA482315
Entities
People
- Jerome Siegel
- Oleg Lyamin