Sleep architecture of adenosine A2A receptor-deficient mice

Adenosine signaling has profound effects on sleep, many of which depend on the adenosine A(2A) receptor (A(2A)R). Here, we compared the sleep architecture of adult male A(2A)R knockout (A(2A)R-KO) mice and wild-type littermates. While total time spent in each stage of wakefulness, non-rapid eye movement sleep (NREMS), and rapid eye movement sleep (REMS) was normal in A(2A)R-KO mice, the episode durations of NREMS and REMS were reduced, suggesting that both stages are more fragmented. In addition, time spent in REMS during the light phase was increased. During NREMS, average delta power was reduced. These results provide insights into how congenital lack of A(2A)Rs affects sleep.