Paradoxical Sleep - A Study of its Nature and Mechanisms
Michel Jouvet
Progress In Brain Research Vol. 18 Sleep Mechanisms 1965
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Introduction
Evidence of the duality of the states of sleep

(a) EEG and behavioural findings

(b) Phylogenetic findings

(c) Ontogenetic findings

(d) Functional findings

(e) Structural findings

Mechanisms of paradoxical sleep

(a) Producing P.S. as a reflex

(b) Results of deafferentations

(c) Role of the hypothalamus and pituitary

(d) Deprivation of P.S. in the pontile animal

(e) Effects of temperature on P.S. in the pontile animal

(f) Action of gamma-butyrolactone (G.B.L.)

(g) Osmolarity of the blood and paradoxical sleep

Discussion

(a) Duality of the states of sleep

(b) Mechanisms underlying the appearance of P.S.

Summary and Conclusions

Discussion

Figures

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The results presented here have been obtained since 1958 in collaboration with J. F. Delorme, M. Jeannerod, D. Jouvet, M. Klein, F. Michel, J. Mouret, J. L. Valatx and P. Vimont. The term paradoxical sleep (P.S.) which we employ in this text for the sake of brevity signifies the paradoxical or rhombencephalic phase of sleep.

Introduction

It has recently been discovered that during behavioural sleep there periodically occurs a state characterized by fast cortical activity similar to that of the waking state, accompanied by a complete disappearance of muscular tonus and of rapid eye movements (Dement, 1958; M. Jouvet et al., 1959). This gives rise to the following problem: Should we consider "classic" sleep, with its slow cortical waves (slow sleep), and paradoxical sleep (P.S.) to be the expression of a single hypnogenic mechanism? On the basis of this hypothesis, P.S. would represent no more than the overstatement of an active hypnic process, since in adults P.S. almost always follows slow sleep and is the deepest state of sleep ( M. Jouvet et al., 1959; Hubel, 1960; Rossi et al., 1961).

Or, on the other hand, should we consider P.S. to be a specific state of central nervous activity which differs qualitatively from slow sleep ? Such a dualistic hypothesis must be based on the experimental differentiation of P.S. and slow sleep. To this end, we shall present tile EEG findings and behavioural, phylogenetic, ontogenetic, functional and structural criteria, which represent a number of concordant arguments in favour of the duality of the states of sleep and of the autonomy, at least relative, of P.S. with respect to slow sleep. In the second part we shall attempt to delimit certain mechanisms regulating the appearance of P.S.

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