The relationship between sleep and ageing is poorly understood, although the two behaviours and their regulation are linked at many points, such as the prefrontal cortex. Ageing and related diseases are associated with aggressive behaviour and sleep disturbances in many cases. In our studies in a free-ranging rat model, we use state-of-the-art and complex methodological approaches to investigate the interrelated themes of sleep, aggression and ageing.

Sleep changes associated with the reproductive cycle are very characteristic in both humans and female rodents, but the mechanisms regulating these changes are poorly understood. We investigate this highly translational topic in freely moving female rats using modern electrophysiological and chemogenetic approaches.