Rocking during sleep reduces motor deficits and beta-amyloid levels in an Alzheimer’s mouse model
Luyan Zhang,
Letizia Santoni,
Nam Anh Ngo,
Reyila Simayi,
Eleonora Ficiará,
Luisa de Vivo,
Michele Bellesi
Affiliations
Luyan Zhang
School of Biosciences and Veterinary Medicine, University of Camerino, Camerino, Italy; Center for Neuroscience, University of Camerino, Camerino, Italy; Key Laboratory of Cold Chain Food Processing and Safety Control, Zhengzhou University of Light Industry, Zhengzhou, China
Letizia Santoni
School of Biosciences and Veterinary Medicine, University of Camerino, Camerino, Italy; Center for Neuroscience, University of Camerino, Camerino, Italy
Nam Anh Ngo
School of Biosciences and Veterinary Medicine, University of Camerino, Camerino, Italy; Center for Neuroscience, University of Camerino, Camerino, Italy
Reyila Simayi
Center for Neuroscience, University of Camerino, Camerino, Italy; School of Pharmacy, University of Camerino, Camerino, Italy
Eleonora Ficiará
Center for Neuroscience, University of Camerino, Camerino, Italy; School of Pharmacy, University of Camerino, Camerino, Italy
Luisa de Vivo
Center for Neuroscience, University of Camerino, Camerino, Italy; School of Pharmacy, University of Camerino, Camerino, Italy
Michele Bellesi
School of Biosciences and Veterinary Medicine, University of Camerino, Camerino, Italy; Center for Neuroscience, University of Camerino, Camerino, Italy; Corresponding author
Summary: Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disorder characterized by cognitive decline, beta-amyloid plaques, and tau tangles. Growing evidence suggests a strong link between sleep disturbances and AD progression, with disrupted sleep exacerbating AD progression through increased beta-amyloid and tau accumulation. This relationship indicates that improving sleep quality could slow disease progression and mitigate its effects on the brain. We investigated whether vestibular stimulation (rocking) could mitigate AD pathology in 3xTg mice (n = 58, males). Starting in early adulthood (p60), mice underwent 12-h daily rocking during the light period for four months. Rocking increased non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep initially, although habituation reduced this effect over time. Despite habituation, rocking slowed motor decline and reduced beta-amyloid levels in the cerebral cortex and hippocampus. However, tau levels remained unaffected. In conclusion, our findings highlight the potential of non-pharmacological methods to enhance NREM sleep and modify disease trajectory in AD models.
