Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 5, 2026
09:09
Elevated Plus Maze for Mice
Published on: December 22, 2008
Distinct EEG Features and Sleep/Wake Behaviour Predict Anxiety Phenotypes in Mice
A Altunkaya1, K M Mengel1, M V Schmidt2
1Clinic for Anesthesiology and Intensive Care, School of Medicine and Health, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany.
Journal of Sleep Research
|July 30, 2026
Summary
Baseline electroencephalography (EEG) and sleep patterns can predict anxiety levels. Specific EEG signatures and sleep disruptions in mice identified high-anxiety phenotypes, offering potential objective biomarkers for conditions like preoperative anxiety.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Sleep Science
- Animal Models
Background:
- Preoperative anxiety is common and linked to poor surgical outcomes.
- Current anxiety assessments are subjective, highlighting the need for objective biomarkers.
- Investigating baseline electroencephalography (EEG) and sleep-wake profiles for anxiety prediction.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine if baseline EEG and sleep-wake profiles predict anxiety levels in a mouse model.
- To identify objective biomarkers for anxiety-related phenotypes.
- To explore the relationship between sleep architecture and anxiety-like behavior.
Main Methods:
- Fifty male C57BL/6N mice underwent EEG/EMG implantation and baseline recordings.
- A cued fear-conditioning protocol was used to classify mice into high-anxiety (HA) or low-anxiety (LA) groups based on behavioral indices.
- Comparative analysis of baseline sleep architecture and spectral EEG power between HA and LA groups.
Main Results:
- High-anxiety mice showed reduced REM sleep (Rapid Eye Movement Sleep) and increased NREMS (Non-Rapid Eye Movement Sleep) during the dark period.
- Lower delta power and heightened eta/beta activity during REMS were observed in HA mice, indicating cortical arousal.
- HA mice exhibited longer and higher-amplitude sleep spindles, suggesting disrupted sleep microstructure.
Conclusions:
- Baseline EEG and sleep-wake parameters can predict distinct anxiety phenotypes in mice.
- Specific sleep and EEG signatures correlate with heightened anxiety-like responses.
- This research may lead to objective biomarkers for identifying susceptibility to anxiety in clinical settings, such as preoperative anxiety.
