Sleep Pattern Interference in the Cognitive Performance of Lusitano Horses.
Authors: Barbosa Ângela P, Oliveira Tiago M, Trindade Pedro Henrique E, Seidel Sarah R T, Tokawa Paula K A, Jaramilo Fernando M, Roncati Neimar V, Baccarin Raquel Y A
Journal: Animals : an open access journal from MDPI
Summary
# Editorial Summary: Sleep Deprivation and Cognitive Function in Lusitano Horses REM sleep plays a crucial role in memory consolidation across mammalian species, yet its specific impact on equine cognitive performance remains poorly characterised. Researchers conducted a randomised crossover trial with ten dressage-trained Lusitano horses (aged 3–7 years), preventing sternal and lateral recumbency for 72 hours to induce REM sleep deprivation, then assessed spatial memory and visual attention using standardised tasks. Whilst total recumbency times before and after the intervention appeared similar, sleep-deprived horses demonstrated a clear trend towards slower completion of spatial memory tasks (p = 0.0839), suggesting that acute REM sleep loss impairs hippocampal-dependent learning—a finding with meaningful implications for competition preparation, training schedules and recovery protocols. For practitioners managing performance horses, this work underscores the importance of adequate undisturbed rest periods, particularly around intensive training phases or before major competitions, and highlights that seemingly minor environmental disruptions to sleep architecture may subtly compromise cognitive function and learning capacity. Further investigation into how stabling conditions, turnout regimens and training intensity influence natural sleep patterns could refine best-practice recommendations for optimising both physical and mental performance in athletic horses.
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Practical Takeaways
- •REM sleep deprivation for 72 hours may impair spatial memory and cognitive task performance in dressage horses, though effects were subtle
- •Stalled horses in this study showed lower recumbency times than historical norms, suggesting environmental or individual factors may influence sleep architecture
- •Monitor cognitive performance and behavior in horses experiencing disrupted sleep patterns, particularly those with restricted recumbency opportunities
Key Findings
- •Recording time of 48 hours was sufficient to characterize sleep patterns in stalled Lusitano horses
- •Total recumbency time in study population was lower than previously reported in horses
- •Sleep-deprived horses showed a tendency (p = 0.0839) toward increased time needed to resolve spatial memory tasks
- •Recumbency times before and after REM sleep deprivation intervention were similar despite 72-hour deprivation period