Opioids cause dissociated states of consciousness in C57BL/6J mice.
Journal of neurophysiology October 1, 2021 Christopher B O'Brien, Clarence E Locklear, Zachary T Glovak et al. 18 citations
Antinociceptive doses of fentanyl, morphine, and buprenorphine significantly and differentially disrupt EEG-defined states of consciousness in adult male C57BL/6J mice. Compared with saline, fentanyl and morphine decreased NREM sleep, morphine eliminated REM sleep, and buprenorphine eliminated both NREM and REM sleep. The opioids altered specific EEG frequency bands and caused dissociated states of consciousness, disrupting the temporal organization of sleep/wake states. These findings are relevant because buprenorphine is used in medication-assisted therapy for opioid addiction, and disordered sleep can promote addiction relapse.