Pharmacol Biochem Behav. 2007 Nov;88(1):55-63. Epub 2007 Jul 20.
Piérard C, Liscia P, Philippin JN, Mons N, Lafon T, Chauveau F, Van Beers P, Drouet I, Serra A, Jouanin JC, Béracochéa D.
Institut de Médecine Aérospatiale du Service de Santé des Armées, France.
The original aims of our study have been to investigate in sleep-deprived
mice, the effects of modafinil administration on spatial working memory, in
parallel with the evaluation of neural activity level, as compared to non-sleep-deprived
animals. For this purpose, an original sleep deprivation apparatus was developed
and validated with continuous electroencephalography recording. Memory performance
was evaluated using spontaneous alternation in a T-maze, whereas the neural
activity level was estimated by the quantification of the c-Fos protein in
various cerebral zones. This study allowed altogether: First, to evidence
that a diurnal 10-h sleep deprivation period induced an impairment of spatial
working memory. Second, to observe a decrease in c-Fos expression after sleep
deprivation followed by a behavioural test, as compared to non-sleep-deprived
mice. This impairment in neural activity was evidenced in areas involved in
wake-sleep cycle regulation (anterior hypothalamus and supraoptic nucleus),
but also in memory (frontal cortex and hippocampus) and emotions (amygdala).
Finally, to demonstrate that modafinil 64 mg/kg is able to restore on the
one hand memory performance after a 10-h sleep deprivation period, and on
the other hand, the neural activity level in the very same brain areas where
it was previously impaired by sleep deprivation and cognitive task.