TRANSITORY AND SHORT-DURATION CHANGES OF SLEEP ORGANIZATION PROVOKED BY AMYGDALOID KINDLING IN THE CAT - A DAILY 23-HOUR SLEEP RECORDING STUDY

The effect of amygdaloid kindling on sleep organization was tested in chronically implanted cats on a 12:12 light-dark cycle. Electrical kindling stimuli were delivered to the amygdala every 2 h during the light period. Total sleep time and percentage, mean duration, and mean number, as well as the hourly accumulation of waking (W) and sleep (slow wave sleep I and II, and paradoxical sleep) episodes were assessed from daily 23-h sleep recordings, consisting of baseline control recordings, control recordings where cats were briefly alerted at 2-h intervals to mimic the kindling trials manipulation, and recordings on each kindling day. The kindling process was completed within six days achieving three to five consecutive fully kindled seizures. Analysis of total recording time showed that the kindling process enhanced W stage and diminished total sleep time only on the second kindling day. Analysis of light and dark periods demonstrated compensatory W and sleep changes during the dark periods. Hourly sleep stage time accumulation was slowed during kindling trials, but compensated while stimuli were suspended. All of these changes returned to baseline values at the end of kindling. No significant differences between changes induced by kindling and those produced by alerting trials were found. We conclude that sleep alterations can not be exclusively attributed to kindling development, and that sleep is able to become adapted to the focal and generalized seizures effect.