[Deprivation of "rapid" sleep by stimulation of the reticular formation of rats].

Rats were repeatedly arused from REM sleep by the stimulation via implanted midbrain reticular electrodes. The 4-day seprivation reduced REM sleep by 50% whereas the slow-wave sleep was only reduced by 10%. There was no evidence of a disruption in the animal behaviour during the deprivation and no changes of emotional responsiveness in the "open-field" at the end of the deprivation. REM deprivation produced a slight but statistically significant (P = 0.025) adrenal weightlos. Thymus weight was unchanged and no stomach ulcers developed. Therefore the REM deprivation as such did not appear to produce stress in rats.