Abstract
Identification of mechanisms which increase deep sleep could lead to novel treatments which promote the restorative effects of sleep. Here, we show that knockdown of the α3 GABAA-receptor subunit from parvalbumin neurons in the thalamic reticular nucleus using CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing increased the thalamocortical delta (1.5-4 Hz) oscillations which are implicated in many health-promoting effects of sleep. Inhibitory synaptic currents in thalamic reticular parvalbumin neurons were strongly reduced in vitro. Further analysis revealed that delta power in long NREM bouts prior to NREM-REM transitions was preferentially affected by deletion of α3 subunits. Our results identify a role for GABAA receptors on thalamic reticular nucleus neurons and suggest antagonism of α3 subunits as a strategy to enhance delta activity during sleep.