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Updated: Jul 8, 2025

Establishing a Device for Sleep Deprivation in Mice
Published on: September 22, 2023
Dexamethasone induces sleep disturbance in a dose-dependent manner in mice
Tomonobu Kato1,2, Gento Okawa1, Kenji F Tanaka2
1Faculty of Science and Technology of Keio University, Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan.
Abstract:
Synthetic corticosteroids, the most well-known anti-inflammatory drugs globally, are effective against inflammatory diseases despite their adverse effects that decrease a patient's quality of life (QOL). One of these effects is sleep disturbance, which causes other health issues and further diminishes the QOL. However, the acute effects of steroid drugs on sleep-wake issues are not fully understood and must be clarified in detail using experimental animals. Therefore, this study examines the dose-dependent effect of dexamethasone (DXM), one of the strongest steroid drugs, on the sleep-wake architecture of mice. We conducted acute DXM administration at multiple doses and 24-hour EEG/EMG recordings. Our results revealed that DXM increased the time spent in arousal and decreased that of NREM sleep, even at very low doses. These results imply that steroid-induced sleep disturbance must be addressed at any dosage.
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