The beneficial effects of regular exercise on cognition in REM sleep deprivation: Behavioral, electrophysiological and molecular evidence

► Sleep deprivation (SD) impaired cognition in sedentary but not in exercised rats. ► E-LTP was impaired in sedentary SD animals, but was not in exercised SD animals. ► SD-induced decreases in BDNF and P-CaMKII were prevented by regular exercise.