Exercise modulates novelty-related behavior and hippocampal calcium activity after sleep deprivation

Sleep plays a vital role in maintaining neural plasticity and cognitive performance. Increasing evidence suggests that sleep deprivation (SD) disrupts synaptic homeostasis, impairs hippocampus-dependent learning, and modifies various neural activity patterns [1, 2]. SD negatively affects the human brain in multiple ways, impairing attention, emotional regulation, and hippocampal-dependent memory through both acute and chronic mechanisms [3]. Notably, even a single night of SD can elevate β-amyloid burden in the hippocampus and thalamus, suggesting immediate impacts on metabolic waste clearance and cognitive-related diseases [4]. Moreover, hippocampal dysfunction during SD is closely associated with impaired calcium signaling, which serves as a key regulator of activity-dependent synaptic plasticity and memory processes [5]. Extensive research has acknowledged the beneficial effects of exercise on cognitive function [6]. Interestingly, examining exercise-induced cognitive enhancement and its underlying mechanisms in SD conditions presents a compelling research question. In recent years, our team has focused on investigating these potential benefits in sleep-deprived populations. A 12-week exercise trial in young adults with habitual insufficient sleep (