Sleep and Circadian Regulation of Neural Repair and Plasticity after Central Nervous System Injury

Oluwaseye Olayemi; Elizabeth Anthony

doi:10.46332/aemj.1879918

Sleep and Circadian Regulation of Neural Repair and Plasticity after Central Nervous System Injury

Abstract

Neural repair and plasticity after central nervous system injury depend on tightly coordinated biological processes, including synaptic remodelling, adult neurogenesis, metabolic clearance, and immune regulation. Sleep and circadian rhythms have emerged as key modulators of these processes, yet they remain under integrated within prevailing models of neural recovery. This review evaluates experimental and clinical evidence linking sleep and circadian biology to neural repair following stroke, traumatic brain injury, and related conditions. We examine how sleep disruption impairs synaptic plasticity, glymphatic clearance, and functional recovery, and how circadian clocks regulate neural stem cell dynamics and neuroinflammatory responses. Methodological strengths and limitations across studies are analysed, with emphasis on inconsistencies arising from heterogeneous injury models, sleep paradigms, and outcome measures. Studies reveal convergent evidence that temporal misalignment exacerbates secondary injury, although effect sizes vary widely. We identify critical gaps, including the failure to disentangle sleep dependent from circadian dependent mechanisms and the under representation of sex and age as biological variables. Finally, we discuss emerging therapeutic strategies targeting sleep and circadian pathways and propose research directions to integrate chronobiology into neural repair paradigms.

Keywords

Ethical Statement

Not Applicable for this review.

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Details

Primary Language

English

Subjects

Emergency Medicine, Psychiatry, Intensive Care

Journal Section

Review

Authors

Oluwaseye Olayemi ^*
0009-0009-1764-608X
Nigeria

Elizabeth Anthony This is me
0009-0002-4376-496X
Nigeria

Publication Date

August 31, 2026

Submission Date

February 2, 2026

Acceptance Date

April 22, 2026

Published in Issue

Year 2026 Volume: 10 Number: 2

DOI

https://doi.org/10.46332/aemj.1879918

IZ

https://izlik.org/JA52BT68FP

Cite

RIS / Bibtex

APA

Olayemi, O., & Anthony, E. (2026). Sleep and Circadian Regulation of Neural Repair and Plasticity after Central Nervous System Injury. Ahi Evran Medical Journal, 10(2), 329-339. https://doi.org/10.46332/aemj.1879918

AMA

1.Olayemi O, Anthony E. Sleep and Circadian Regulation of Neural Repair and Plasticity after Central Nervous System Injury. Ahi Evran Med J. 2026;10(2):329-339. doi:10.46332/aemj.1879918

Chicago

Olayemi, Oluwaseye, and Elizabeth Anthony. 2026. “Sleep and Circadian Regulation of Neural Repair and Plasticity After Central Nervous System Injury”. Ahi Evran Medical Journal 10 (2): 329-39. https://doi.org/10.46332/aemj.1879918.

EndNote

Olayemi O, Anthony E (August 1, 2026) Sleep and Circadian Regulation of Neural Repair and Plasticity after Central Nervous System Injury. Ahi Evran Medical Journal 10 2 329–339.

IEEE

[1]O. Olayemi and E. Anthony, “Sleep and Circadian Regulation of Neural Repair and Plasticity after Central Nervous System Injury”, Ahi Evran Med J, vol. 10, no. 2, pp. 329–339, Aug. 2026, doi: 10.46332/aemj.1879918.

ISNAD

Olayemi, Oluwaseye - Anthony, Elizabeth. “Sleep and Circadian Regulation of Neural Repair and Plasticity After Central Nervous System Injury”. Ahi Evran Medical Journal 10/2 (August 1, 2026): 329-339. https://doi.org/10.46332/aemj.1879918.

JAMA

1.Olayemi O, Anthony E. Sleep and Circadian Regulation of Neural Repair and Plasticity after Central Nervous System Injury. Ahi Evran Med J. 2026;10:329–339.

MLA

Olayemi, Oluwaseye, and Elizabeth Anthony. “Sleep and Circadian Regulation of Neural Repair and Plasticity After Central Nervous System Injury”. Ahi Evran Medical Journal, vol. 10, no. 2, Aug. 2026, pp. 329-3, doi:10.46332/aemj.1879918.

Vancouver

1.Oluwaseye Olayemi, Elizabeth Anthony. Sleep and Circadian Regulation of Neural Repair and Plasticity after Central Nervous System Injury. Ahi Evran Med J. 2026 Aug. 1;10(2):329-3. doi:10.46332/aemj.1879918