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Stereotypic wheel running decreases cortical activity in mice
Simon P Fisher1, Nanyi Cui1, Laura E McKillop1
1Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics, University of Oxford, Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3PT, UK.
Nature Communications
|October 18, 2016
Summary
Voluntary wheel running in mice significantly reduces cortical neuron firing rates. This specific waking behavior alters neuronal activity, challenging the idea that only wake duration impacts sleep need.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Sleep Science
- Animal Behavior
Background:
- Prolonged wakefulness is believed to increase sleep need and affect sleep patterns.
- The influence of specific waking behaviors on neuronal activity and sleep need is not well understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the impact of voluntary wheel running on neuronal activity in the motor and somatosensory cortex of mice.
- To determine if specific waking behaviors, like running, modulate wake-related changes in cortical neuronal firing.
Main Methods:
- Electrophysiological recordings were used to measure neuronal firing rates in the cortex of mice during wakefulness.
- Mice engaged in voluntary wheel running at various speeds.
- Neuronal activity was analyzed during spontaneous prolonged wakefulness and wakefulness dominated by running.
Main Results:
- Stereotypic wheel running led to a significant reduction in firing rates in a large subpopulation of cortical neurons, particularly at high speeds.
- Wheel running demonstrated longer-term effects on cortical spiking activity.
- The typical increase in cortical firing rates observed towards the end of spontaneous prolonged wakefulness was abolished when wakefulness involved significant running wheel activity.
Conclusions:
- Specific waking behaviors, such as wheel running, play a crucial role in modulating cortical neuronal activity.
- Wake-related changes in neuronal firing rates are influenced by both the duration of wakefulness and the nature of the behaviors performed during wakefulness.
- These findings suggest that the type of waking activity is a key determinant of subsequent sleep need and intensity.
