Chronic-intermittent hypoxia induces immediate early gene expression in the midline thalamus and epithalamus

Chronic-intermittent hypoxia (CIH) was postulated to activate thalamic regions that are synaptically related to autonomic-related areas of the cerebral cortex. Animals exposed to CIH for 30 days exhibited c-fos labeling in paraventricular thalamic and lateral habenular nuclei. Our findings strongly suggest activation of a diencephalic network that participates in behavioral responses to chronic stress. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.