Sleep Deprivation and its Effects on Male Wistar Rats’ Behaviour and Oxidative Stress

Abstract

Background: Sleep is characterized by well-defined changes in the brain electrical activity. It is a fundamental phenomenon with no known molecular function. Insufficient sleep and circadian rhythm disruption are associated with wide range of health problems. But the mechanism involved remains largely unexplored. In this modern life style (24-h society) due to increased recourse to shift and night work, prolonged use of electronic media delays bed time, altering sleep duration and quality. It causes deficits in cognitive functions and synaptic plasticity which is essential for long term adaptive changes in behaviour and antioxidant levels.
Aim: To study the effect of sleep deprivation on behaviour and its oxidative stress levels in rats.
Methodology: This study was done in the department of Physiology, MMCH & RI, Enathur. 18 male Wistar rats were divided into 3 groups. Group I: home cage control, Group II: sleep deprivation (flower pot technique – small platform), Group III: sleep deprivation (Large platform). Group II, III were subjected to sleep deprivation for 96 hours. Behavioural assessment was done using open field maze test and antioxidant status was measured for all the groups.
Results & Conclusion: Sleep deprivation for 96 hours showed behavioural alterations with increase in oxidative stress.