Periodicity of sleep spindles

The refractory period between spindles is due to the after-depolarization of thalamocortical neurons.

Thereby their ability to generate rebound low-threshold calcium spikes following the arrival of IPSPs from the thalamic reticular nucleus is reduced.

The occurrrence of spindle frequency activity in human stage 2 sleep shows a 4 second periodicity.

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Upper panel adapted from Steriade, Jones and Llinas: Thalamic Oscillations and Signaling. Wiley, NY, 1990;
Lower panel modified from Achermann and Borbély (1997)

 

 

 

©1998 BITS OF SLEEP (Demo) : The brain in sleep: Thalamocortical system.