Spontaneous Electrodermal Activity During Sleep and Waking in Cats

This study examined the relationship between spontaneous skin potential responses (SSPRs) and the stages of sleep and waking in freely moving cats. Five adult cats were observed during 6 sleeping sessions of several hours each, permitting the analysis of several cycles of sleep in each session. Results showed a significant decrease in SSPR frequency through the different stages of vigilance, from waking, through drowsiness and slow wave sleep, to paradoxical sleep. During this last stage, spontaneous electrodermal activity was strongly reduced and few SSPRs appeared in bursts on a background of electrodermal silence. These results are discussed in relation to the known variations in spontaneous electrodermal activity in humans during sleep and in relation to the variations in some other physiological parameters during sleep.