REM SLEEP RELATED INCREASE IN BRAIN TEMPERATURE: A PHYSIOLOGIC PROBLEM

摘要

Many Authors have reported changes in brain temperature during the ultradian sleep cycle in several mammalian species. The temperature decrease in NREM sleep is not discussed here since it is a normal effect of thermoregulation operating at a lower set point temperature than in wakefulness. In contrast, the increase in brain temperature related to REM sleep appears paradoxical from the viewpoint of normal thermoregulation. The problem of the physiologic mechanisms underlying this temperature change remains unresolved (cf. 26).