Summary: Researchers have discovered that strengthening synaptic connections in the brain’s prefrontal cortex induces deep sleep, revealing an important mechanism behind sleep homeostasis. By applying a molecular tool called SYNCit-K to mice, the enhanced synaptic strength triggered sleep, while blocking this enhancement prevented deep sleep.
Key takeaways:
- Synaptic Strength Directly Influences Sleep: Researchers found that increasing synaptic strength in the prefrontal cortex triggers deep sleep, while preventing this enhancement disrupts sleep, demonstrating the critical role of synaptic activity in sleep regulation.
- SYNCit-K Shows Promise in Regulating Sleep: The newly developed molecular tool SYNCit-K was used to enhance brain connections in mice, successfully inducing deep sleep and offering a potential new approach for improving sleep homeostasis.
- Therapeutic Potential for Sleep Disorders: This research opens the door for developing therapies targeting synaptic enhancement, which could help improve sleep quantity and quality in individuals with sleep disorders, by regulating brain synaptic activity.
Sleep deprivation typically results in longer and deeper sleep, thereby maintaining overall sleep quantity and quality through homeostatic regulation. However, the specific mechanisms by which the brain monitors and controls sleep homeostasis remain unclear.
To address this, the researchers focused on synaptic connections between neurons. They developed a novel molecular tool, SYNCit-K, which enhances synaptic strength, and EIN (excitatory-inhibitory neuronal network) model, a mathematical framework predicting the relationship between synaptic strength and brain activity.
Application of SYNCit-K to the frontal cortex of mice induced sleep, while inhibition of synaptic enhancement prevented the induction of deep sleep. Enhanced synaptic strength in the prefrontal cortex returned to normal levels following subsequent sleep. These findings aligned with predictions from the EIN model, elucidating how increased synaptic connections in the brain induce sleep.
Understanding the role of synaptic strength in sleep homeostasis offers the potential for developing new therapeutic approaches to improve sleep quantity and quality, according to researchers. Moreover, expanding the application of SYNCit-K and the EIN model could advance the understanding of brain functions and the computational theories underlying sleep.
The study was published in Science.
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