Active sleep unmasks apnea and delayed arousal in infant rat pups lacking central serotonin

We report that rat pups deficient in central 5-HT (TPH2–/–) are profoundly more apneic in active sleep (AS) but not quiet sleep (QS). Unlike control pups, the arousal of TPH2–/– pups in air, CO2, and hypoxia was delayed in AS compared with QS. Thus for infants deficient in central 5-HT, the risk of SIDS may be higher in AS than in QS.

Source: Journal of Applied Physiology - October 24, 2017 Category: Physiology Authors: Young, J. O., Geurts, A., Hodges, M. R., Cummings, K. J. Tags: RESEARCH ARTICLE Source Type: research