The Effect of Exercise on Learning and Spatial Memory Following Stress-Induced Sleep Deprivation (Sleep REM) in Rats

Abstract

Background: Stress induced by sleep deprivation can cause degradation of learning in the acquisition phase, and low-intensity exercise can prevent the negative effects of stress. Objectives: The aim of this study was to investigate the moderating role of aerobic exercise on spatial memory and learning following stress-induced insomnia (sleep REM) in animal models. Materials and Methods: This experimental study was conducted on adult male Wistar rats that were randomly divided into two groups. Both groups were exposed to sleep deprivation induced stress, following which the experimental group was exposed to exercise training (experimental, n = 8; control, n = 8). The stress intervention was undertaken through 24 hours of sleep deprivation using a modified sleep deprivation platform (MMD). The exercise protocol included mild aerobic exercise on a treadmill (30 minutes a day, seven days), and Morris Water Maze (MWM) protocols were applied to assess spatial memory and learning. Data were analyzed by an independent t-test and dependent t-test. Results: The results showed that, after seven days of aerobic exercise on a treadmill, the experimental group showed better performance escape latency (P < 0.05) and distance traveled (P < 0.05) than the control group in the MWM, while there was no difference between these two groups in the pre-test. Conclusions: The role of exercise is greater in the retention than the acquisition phase for recalling past experiences.