Microelectrode array-based detection and modulation of sleep–wake neuroinformation in the mouse preoptic area

Sleep is an essential physiological process for maintaining survival and normal circadian rhythms in living organisms. Research on sleep regulatory mechanisms suffers from a lack of real-time electrophysiological recording and neuromodulation techniques targeting deep brain regions. In this study, we design and fabricate a microelectrode array for detecting and modulating sleep–wake activity in the preoptic area. We record electrophysiological signals associated with sleep–wake regulation in the medial preoptic area. Our findings reveal distinct behavioral and electrophysiological characteristics between sleep and wake states, and we identify different subtypes of neurons in the medial preoptic area that exhibit fundamentally distinct response mechanisms to sleep and wake. In addition, we successfully use deep brain electrical stimulation technology to induce mice to enter a sleep-like state. These findings fill a critical gap in the understanding of neural mechanisms underlying sleep–wake regulation and provide a novel technological approach for sleep modulation via deep brain stimulation.