Central ketone body and brain function including sleep regulation

2016 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 26380987
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Experimental psychology
• Research Institution: The University of Tokushima
• Principal Investigator: CHIKAHISA Sachiko 徳島大学, 大学院医歯薬学研究部(医学系), 講師 (00452649)
• Project Period (FY): 2014-04-01 – 2017-03-31
• Keywords: ケトン体 / 高次脳機能 / 睡眠

Outline of Final Research Achievements

We investigated the role of brain ketone body metabolism in brain functions including sleep regulations. Chronic sleep disruption decreased sleep amount and attenuated sleep depth, accompanying by glucose intolerance in mice. These sleep-disrupted mice showed no change in plasma ketone body concentration, although both central and peripheral injection of ketone bodies enhanced sleep depth. In addition, neuron-specific over expression of ketone body-degrading enzyme induced alteration of sleep rebound after sleep deprivation, anxiety/depression and memory/learning behavior. Central ketone body metabolism may play a significant role in higher brain functions including sleep homeostasis.

Free Research Field

実験心理、環境生理