Effect of Long-Term Physical Exercise on Memory, Anxiety-Like Behavior, and Depression in Young and Aged Male Mice Subjected to Sleep Deprivation

This study evaluated whether chronic aerobic exercise could attenuate behavioral impairments associated with sleep deprivation (SD) in young and aged male mice. Young (3 months) and aged (18 months) Swiss mice were assigned to four groups: control, exercise (EXE), sleep deprivation (SD), and exercise followed by SD (EXE + SD). Animals performed treadmill training for 8 weeks and then underwent 72-hour SD. Behavioral tests assessed working memory (Y-maze), depression-like behavior (tail suspension), and anxiety-like behavior (elevated plus maze). The results suggest that age influences the effectiveness of exercise in mitigating sleep deprivation-induced behavioral deficits, opening avenues for future studies on the interaction between physical exercise, sleep, and aging.