The function and mechanisms of sleep remain elusive for neurobiologists despite numerous studies. There is strong evidence that sleep has a restorative function and many suggestive results that sleep has a role in learning and memory. The precise natures of these phenomena are unknown. Mounting evidence suggests that sleep occurs in all animals including insects, which offer special experimental advantages. Recent studies have documented sleep-like behavior in Drosophila melanogaster. However, without understanding the neurological activity associated with sleep in insects it will be impossible to say if their sleep is truly analogous to ours. The goal of this study is to identify an electrophysiological signature for sleep in locusts, large insects amenable to electrophysiology. Specifically, neuronal activity will be correlated with behavioral assays, and pharmaceuticals affecting sleep will be analyzed. Furthermore, state dependent differences in sensory processing will be monitored. These studies will employ extracellular and intracellular recording techniques along with several behavioral and physiological monitoring systems. Coordinated neuronal assemblies and their state dependency will be analyzed. The ultimate goal is to establish a strong foundation for an insect sleep model. ? ?
