Deep sleep and parietal cortex gene expression changes are related to cognitive deficits with age.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Age-related cognitive deficits negatively affect quality of life and can presage serious neurodegenerative disorders. Despite sleep disruption's well-recognized negative influence on cognition, and its prevalence with age, surprisingly few studies have tested sleep's relationship to cognitive aging.

Methodology

We measured sleep stages in young adult and aged F344 rats during inactive (enhanced sleep) and active (enhanced wake) periods. Animals were behaviorally characterized on the Morris water maze and gene expression profiles of their parietal cortices were taken.

Principal findings

Water maze performance was impaired, and inactive period deep sleep was decreased with age. However, increased deep sleep during the active period was most strongly correlate

SUBMITTER: Buechel HM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3070733 | biostudies-literature | 2011 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature