Search Here

Recent findings presented at the Federation of European Neuroscience Societies (FENS) Forum 2024 suggest that existing drugs may hold promise in reversing the effects of sleep deprivation on memory, specifically social and spatial memories, in mice.

Dr. Robbert Havekes from the University of Groningen in the Netherlands presented the research, highlighting how sleep deprivation affects memory processes, leading to the "hidden" state of memories that are difficult to retrieve.

The study demonstrated that drugs currently used for asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease could restore access to these hidden social and spatial memories in mice. Roflumilast, an anti-inflammatory drug approved by the US FDA for treating COPD, was effective in restoring social memories. Similarly, vardenafil, a drug used for erectile dysfunction, successfully restored spatial memories in sleep-deprived mice, Medical Express reported.

Dr. Havekes explained, "We have been able to show that sleep deprivation leads to amnesia in the case of specific spatial and social recognition memories. This amnesia can be reversed days later after the initial learning experience and sleep deprivation episode, using drugs already approved for human consumption."

In experiments, mice initially preferred interacting with new mice over familiar siblings. However, after sleep deprivation, this preference was lost, indicating memory impairment. Using optogenetic techniques to manipulate memory engrams in the brain, researchers could reactivate these memories with light stimulation. Alternatively, drug treatments effectively restored memory function, providing potential therapeutic avenues.

Professor Richard Roche from Maynooth University, who was not involved in the study, commented, "Although these studies were carried out in mice, they suggest that it may be possible to recover people's lost social and spatial memories using certain drug treatments that are already approved for human use."

"However, it will take time and a lot more work to move this research from mice into humans," Roche added.

Dr. Havekes and his team are now collaborating on potential human studies to further explore the mechanisms underlying memory loss due to sleep deprivation and the therapeutic potential of existing drugs. They aim to pave the way for future treatments that could mitigate memory deficits caused by inadequate sleep in clinical settings.

Havekes concluded, "In the long term, we hope that these fundamental studies will help pave the way for studies in humans aimed at reversing forgetfulness by restoring access to otherwise inaccessible information in the brain."