Commentary Cell Science Reviews Vol 6 No 3 ISSN 1742-8130

Molecular mechanisms underlying sleep deprivation-induced deficits in hippocampal long-term potentiation and contextual memory

There is overwhelming support for the view that sleep is necessary for efficient memory consolidation and synaptic plasticity. A recent study published in Nature reported that a 5 hour period of sleep deprivation disrupts hippocampal long-term potentiation (LTP) and hippocampus-dependent contextual memory in mice. This disruption of LTP and contextual memory are shown to be caused by the increased levels and activity of the protein phosphodiesterase 4 (PDE4) in the dorsal hippocampus. This study also demonstrated that these sleep deprivation-induced deficits in hippocampal LTP and memory could be remedied by pharmacological treatment that enhances cAMP signaling in the dorsal hippocampus.

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