抄録
We simultaneously recorded hippocampal and amygdaloid field activity during REM sleep in rats. In the amygdala, intermittent rhythmic activity, whose frequency was about 8 Hz, was recorded during REM sleep. This activity was found to be synchronized with hippocampal theta activity. We also recorded pontine phasic potential, which is called P wave. This potential is known to relate to the cholinergic neuronal activity in the brainstem. We found that i) the frequency of theta wave in both the amygdala and hippocampus increased associated with increase in the P wave density, ii) duration of theta in the amygdala increased as P wave density increases iii) synchronization between theta wave in the amygdala and hippocampus became stronger with the increase in the P wave density. Because cholinergic neurons in the brainstem send projections to the amygdala and hippocampus, these results suggest that the brainstem cholinergic neurons activate theta activity both in the amygdala and hippocampus. [J Physiol Sci. 2007;57 Suppl:S137]
