Data_descriptor.pdf

By systematically quantifying how temperature tracks with EEG-defined sleep-wake states and specific neural oscillations in mice, we provide new insights into the tight physiological coupling between metabolic heat production and neural activity. This link is not only theoretically important but also offers practical implications for neuroscience and sleep research. Our study shows that transitions into and out of wakefulness, NREM, and REM sleep are marked by predictable temperature dynamics, which can be used to infer brain state in the absence of EEG or EMG. More strikingly, temperature fluctuations closely follow specific EEG events such as spindles, theta, and gamma activity with a consistent 10–14 second delay, suggesting a temporally lagged but robust relationship.Moreover, by examining cataplexy in hypocretin-deficient mice, the paper adds depth to our understanding of pathological brain states. The discovery that cataplexy’s theta-dominant sub-state CAS (for cataplexy associated state) is associated with a temperature drop — contrary to what is seen in theta-rich states like REM and active wakefulness — suggests that similar EEG patterns can arise from fundamentally different neuronal (and metabolic) processes.