Effects of cocaine, methamphetamine and modafinil challenge on sleep rebound after paradoxical sleep deprivation in rats

Abstract

Sleep loss is both common and critically relevant to our society and might lead to the abuse of psychostimulants such as amphetamines, cocaine and modafinil. Since psychoactive substance abuse often occurs within a scenario of sleep deficit, the purpose of this investigation was to compare the sleep patterns of rats challenged with cocaine (7 mg/kg, ip), methamphetamine (7 mg/kg, ip), or modafinil (100 mg/kg, ip) subsequent to paradoxical sleep deprivation (PSD) for 96 h. Our results show that, immediately after 96 h of PSD, rats (10 per group) that were injected with a psychostimulant presented lower percentages of paradoxical sleep compared to those injected with saline (P < 0.01). Regarding slow wave sleep (SWS), rats injected with psychostimulants after PSD presented a late rebound (on the second night subsequent to the injection) in the percentage of this phase of sleep when compared to PSD rats injected with saline (P < 0.05). In addition, the current study has produced evidence of the characteristic effect of each drug on sleep architecture. Home cage control rats injected with modafinil and methamphetamine showed a reduction in SWS compared with the saline group. Methamphetamine affected sleep patterns most, since it significantly reduced paradoxical sleep, SWS and sleep efficiency before and after PSD compared to control (P < 0.05). Cocaine was the psychostimulant causing the least changes in sleep pattern in relation to those observed after saline injection. Therefore, our results suggest that abuse of these psychostimulants in a PSD paradigm aggravates their impact on sleep patterns.

Dopamine Transporter Regulation during Four Nights of REM Sleep Deprivation Followed by Recovery – An in vivo Molecular Imaging Study in Humans

“…2,5,11,37 moreover, wake-promoting substances that act on the dopaminergic system, such as psychostimulant drugs, have acute and chronic effects on sleep architecture. 38 a the D2/D3 receptor radioligand binding potential was reduced in the str after total sleep deprivation. 12 the authors consider that this reduction could be a result of a da increase in the synaptic cleft, as a consequence of sleep deprivation.…”

Sleep loss and acute drug abuse can induce DNA damage in multiple organs of mice

“…Drugs like cocaine and ecstasy are known to lead to modifications of sleep architecture, [8][9][10][11] difficulty in initiating and maintaining sleep, lowered sleep efficiency and significant delay in sleep onset. 12 These facts suggest a close association between sleep deprivation and psychostimulant drug use.…”

Wake-promoting agent modafinil worsened attentional performance following REM sleep deprivation in a young-adult rat model of 5-choice serial reaction time task

“…However, the use of these psychostimulant drugs in people suffering from sleep insufficiency/deprivation is still debatable. There is a potential for individuals to abuse these drugs, especially following paradoxical sleep deprivation (Howell and Kimmel 2008;Martins et al 2008). Moreover, the use of psychostimulant drugs may cause more peripheral excitation and homeostatic perturbations than necessary.…”