Basic neuroscienceStress-free automatic sleep deprivation using air puffs

- Gentle handling sleep deprivation is time- and personnel-intensive.
- Manual sleep scoring adds unwanted variability to studies.
- We developed an automated air-puff sleep deprivation procedure for rats.
- AP is no more stressful than gentle handling sleep deprivation.
- AP is a viable, automated alternative to current sleep deprivation techniques.

BackgroundSleep deprivation via gentle handling is time-consuming and personnel-intensive.New methodWe present here an automated sleep deprivation system via air puffs. Implanted EMG and EEG electrodes were used to assess sleep/waking states in six male Sprague-Dawley rats. Blood samples were collected from an implanted intravenous catheter every 4 h during the 12-h light cycle on baseline, 8 h of sleep deprivation via air puffs, and 8 h of sleep deprivation by gentle handling days.ResultsThe automated system was capable of scoring sleep and waking states as accurately as our offline version (∼90% for sleep) and with sufficient speed to trigger a feedback response within an acceptable amount of time (1.76 s). Manual state scoring confirmed normal sleep on the baseline day and sleep deprivation on the two manipulation days (68% decrease in non-REM, 63% decrease in REM, and 74% increase in waking). No significant differences in levels of ACTH and corticosterone (stress hormones indicative of HPA axis activity) were found at any time point between baseline sleep and sleep deprivation via air puffs.Comparison with existing methodThere were no significant differences in ACTH or corticosterone concentrations between sleep deprivation by air puffs and gentle handling over the 8-h period.ConclusionsOur system accurately detects sleep and delivers air puffs to acutely deprive rats of sleep with sufficient temporal resolution during the critical 4-5 h post learning sleep-dependent memory consolidation period. The system is stress-free and a viable alternative to existing sleep deprivation techniques.