title: Baclofen facilitates sleep, neuroplasticity, and recovery after stroke in rats.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Sleep disruption in the acute phase after stroke has detrimental effects on recovery in both humans and animals. Conversely, the effect of sleep promotion remains unclear. Baclofen (Bac) is a known non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep-promoting drug in both humans and animals. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of Bac on stroke recovery in a rat model of focal cerebral ischemia (isch).
  
  
  METHODS
  Rats, assigned to three experimental groups (Bac/isch, saline/isch, or Bac/sham), were injected twice daily for 10 consecutive days with Bac or saline, starting 24 h after induction of stroke. The sleep-wake cycle was assessed by EEG recordings and functional motor recovery by single pellet reaching test (SPR). In order to identify potential neuroplasticity mechanisms, axonal sprouting and neurogenesis were evaluated. Brain damage was assessed by Nissl staining.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Repeated Bac treatment after ischemia affected sleep, motor function, and neuroplasticity, but not the size of brain damage. NREM sleep amount was increased significantly during the dark phase in Bac/isch compared to the saline/isch group. SPR performance dropped to 0 immediately after stroke and was recovered slowly thereafter in both ischemic groups. However, Bac-treated ischemic rats performed significantly better than saline-treated animals. Axonal sprouting in the ipsilesional motor cortex and striatum, and neurogenesis in the peri-infarct region were significantly increased in Bac/isch group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Delayed repeated Bac treatment after stroke increased NREM sleep and promoted both neuroplasticity and functional outcome. These data support the hypothesis of the role of sleep as a modulator of poststroke recovery.
authors.affiliation: Center for Experimental Neurology (ZEN), Department of Neurology, Inselspital, Bern University Hospital 3010, Bern, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Aleksandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hodor
authors.affiliation: Center for Experimental Neurology (ZEN), Department of Neurology, Inselspital, Bern University Hospital 3010, Bern, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Svitlana
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Palchykova
authors.affiliation: Center for Experimental Neurology (ZEN), Department of Neurology, Inselspital, Bern University Hospital 3010, Bern, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Francesca
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Baracchi
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, University Hospital Zürich 8091, Zürich, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Daniela
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Noain
authors.affiliation: Center for Experimental Neurology (ZEN), Department of Neurology, Inselspital, Bern University Hospital 3010, Bern, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Claudio L
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Bassetti