The Behavioral Effects of Rem Sleep Deprivation in Rats

Four experiments were performed to test the behavioral effects of REM deprivation on rats. Two studies of avoidance learning showed that shuttle avoidance and runway avoidance were unaffected by REM deprivation. REM deprivation produced an enhancement of activity, and the addition of periodic shock demonstrated a failure of adaptation for REM‐deprived subjects. These data were interpreted as indicating that REM deprivation produces motivational effects on rat behavior and that electric shock‐induced pain and REM deprivation interact to change activity patterns. It was concluded that the findings of the present experiment can be explained most parsimoniously in terms of increased sensitivity of REM‐deprived subjects to environmental stimulation.