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Human slow-wave sleep and the cerebral
cortex of the brain
Dr. J.P.N. Mishra
SUMMARY Recent hypotheses about the role of human slow-wave sleep (hSWS delta EEG activity) are appraised. The possible linkage between hSWS and the functions of the prefrontal cortex (PFC) are explored with respect to normal subjects and to disorders involving PFC deficits.
KEYWORDS: depression, human slow wave sleep, prefrontal
cortex, schizophrenia, thermoregulation
THERMOREGULATION
Human SWS (hSWS- sleep stage 3+4 of NREM sleep i.e. delta EEG activity) is not only affected by the length of wakefulness but also by its quality. For example, raising core body temperature by about 1.5-2.0°C for at last 30 min during the day increases hSWS (Horne and Shackeel, 1987). The nearer the proximity of the heating to sleep the less the dose that seems to be required for a given hSWS increase. This may be due to a slow decay in the heating effect over the interim waking period between heating and sleep. Or, there may be a circadian factor (e.g. the heating effect is greater at the acrophase). Interestingly, finding
GHI 511 379a-fcHER, 2000 m
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