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Abstract
Bilateral or unilateral, localized and reversible cooling (+10 degrees C) of the anterior
part of the locus coeruleus area (LCp) in the cat induced, in rapid succession, slow
wave sleep (SWS) and a transitory phase of SWS + PGO. These states of sleep were followed
in 40-50% of the animals by paradoxical sleep (PS). These effects (on SWS, SWS + PGO
and PS) occurred following repetitive periods of short duration cooling and were maintained
during long duration cooling (70 min). Unilateral cooling of the ventral part of the
locus coeruleus area (LC alpha) and peri-LC alpha induced wakefulness, regardless
of the states of sleep in which the cooling was performed. After a cryolesion (-24
degrees C) of the nucleus raphe dorsalis, cooling of the LCp did not induce a hypnogenic
effect. Electrical stimulation of the locus coeruleus area, however, always induced
wakefulness.