Genotype and injury severity modulate the effects of traumatic brain injury on sleep in Drosophila

Traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) have many negative impacts in humans (i.e. lifespan, cognitive function, sleep). Recently, Drosophila emerged as a model for studying these impacts in a controlled environment. Previous studies have described effects of TBIs on sleep in Drosophila , but how these effects are modulated by injury severity or genetic background has not been explicitly investigated. Here, we exposed male Drosophila melanogaster from two genetic backgrounds to two TBI severity treatments and measured effects on sleep. We document significantly increasing effects with injury severity in both genetic backgrounds and describe differences between genotypes, demonstrating a genetic basis to susceptibility.