Caffeine improved spatial learning and memory deficit in sleep deprived female rat

Previous studies have shown that caffeine has beneficial effects on cognitive impairment in sleep deprived male rats. Therefore in the present study, we examined the effects of chronic caffeine administration on learning and memory impairments induced by sleep deprivation (SD) in the intact and ovarectomized (OVX) female rats. Two sets of animals including intact and OVX were randomly recruited into the following subgroups: control, SD, wide platform (Sham platform), caffeine, and caffeine plus SD. Multiple platform method was used for SD induction. Spatial learning and memory were determined using Morris water maze (MWM) task. Throughout behavioral investigation, significant learning impairment was observed in sleep-deprived OVX rats compared to the intact and the other OVX groups (P<0.05). Short term memory impairment was observed in both sleep-deprived OVX and intact groups (P<0.05). 4weeks caffeine administration improved these impairments. Based on these findings we propose that sleep deprivation impaired cognitive function whereas caffeine treatment reversed these impairments.