Effects of rocking during sleep on the bulk transcriptome of mouse cerebral cortex.

Transcriptomic studies have revealed that sleep and wake states are associated with widespread changes in gene expression in the brain across multiple species. While these findings have provided important insights into the molecular correlates of sleep, the transcriptional consequences of experimentally enhancing sleep through non-pharmacological interventions remain poorly characterized. In the present study, we investigated the effects of sleep enhancement induced by vestibular stimulation via rocking on the bulk transcriptome of the mouse cerebral cortex. Mice were exposed to repeated rocking sessions during sleep across multiple days, a protocol previously shown to increase sleep duration and consolidation. Cortical tissue was collected following the stimulation protocol, and bulk RNA sequencing was performed to assess global gene expression changes associated with rocking-induced sleep enhancement. Transcriptomic analysis revealed significant modulation of genes involved in synaptic function, neurotransmission, and plasticity-related pathways, consistent with the observed behavioral and synaptic outcomes of the experimental paradigm. These data provide a molecular framework for understanding how sensory-driven sleep enhancement influences cortical gene expression and support a link between improved sleep and transcriptional programs associated with neuroplasticity. Overall design: Standard RNA sequencing of motor cortex tissue was conducted to compare transcriptomic changes between sleep (S) and sleep-enhanced (SE) C57BL/6 mice. For each animal, primary motor cortex was immediately extracted and snap frozen.