Current and emerging tools for studying animal models of sleep and autism

Sleep disturbances and the role of sleep in neuropsychiatric disorders have been studied in numerous animal models using complementary approaches. This review focuses on preclinical tools for studying sleep in several animal models of ASD, including existing non-genetic and genetic models, new tools for generating different types of genetic models, and methods to facilitate efficient animal model generation. Tools for studying sleep in these models, including EEG, fluorescent imaging, and genetic approaches for controlling neural activity (such as optogenetics) and genetically encoded tools for monitoring neural activity and neurotransmitters, are discussed and organized into readily accessible reference tables. Hardware, such as activity monitoring systems, EEG/EMG, and open-source recording systems, ia also reviewed, along with their caveats and trade-offs. This review highlights emerging tools for monitoring sleep, including hardware and genetic approaches, and explores novel methods for manipulating biological activity applicable to sleep and ASD research. These exciting new tools promise to accelerate our understanding of sleep and its role in neuropsychiatric disorders.