Abstract
In clinical practice in Taiwan, Albizia julibrissin is the most prescribed Chinese herbal medicine for insomnia. Short-term insomnia and hypnotic use both attenuate cognitive functions, especially learning memory. In previous studies, A. julibrissin exhibits sedative activity, antidepressant-like effects, and protection of learning and memory against amnesia. However, whether A. julibrissin ameliorates memory loss caused by short-term sleep deprivation is not clear. We utilized the sleep-deprived Drosophila model and olfactory associative learning-memory assay to test the effects of A. julibrissin on sleep-deprivation induced memory loss. We found that A. julibrissin ameliorated 3-hour memory but not 1-hour memory or instant learning. The findings might be applied to an anticipated short-term sleep disturbance.
Highlights
Insomnia dominates the category of sleep disorder and continues to be a rising public problem in recent years, prevalence ranging from 15% to 50% [1]
For assessing the effect of protection of A. julibrissin treatment on learning and memory disturbed by sleep deprivation, flies were treated with A. julibrissin of different concentrations, i.e., 0, 4.5, and 18 mg/ml, for 5 days since emergence and subjected to sleep deprivation at the night of the 5th day for 12h, and subjected to T-maze for olfactory associative learning at the 6th day
To test our hypothesis that A. julibrissin ameliorates memory loss caused by short-term insomnia or sleep
Summary
Insomnia dominates the category of sleep disorder and continues to be a rising public problem in recent years, prevalence ranging from 15% to 50% [1]. Cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-i) is gradually emphasized, as suggested in the 2017 European guideline for the diagnosis and treatment of insomnia as the recommended first-line treatment for chronic insomnia, pharmacological intervention is still indispensable when CBT-i is not available or is not sufficient [2]. Pharmacological treatment such as benzodiazepines and benzodiazepine receptor agonists are recommended for short-term insomnia [2], with careful management to minimize their drug dependence, including tolerance, escalation of dosage, and a withdrawal syndrome [3]. Since shortterm sleep deprivation (i.e., 1-2 nights) but not long-term insomnia causes deficits in attention and memory [6], an investigation into assisting with memory problems due to short-term sleep disruption is necessary
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