Sleep deprivation causes epigenetic changes in the basal forebrain [abstract]

Abstract

Today's work pressure has lead people to curtail their sleep. However, all of the consequences of sleep deprivation are not clear. Histone acetylation is a key epigenetic mechanism responsible for controlling gene expression. Increased histone acetylation increases gene expression; reduced histone acetylation results in reduced gene expression. We hypothesized that as compared to spontaneous wakefulness, sleep deprivation may produce a significant increase in histone acetylation in the basal forebrain (BF) region. We chose the BF region because it is a critical brain region responsible for regulating various brain functions including sleep, vigilance, attention, learning and memory.