Memory ability and retention performance relate differentially to sleep depth and spindle type

• Published in: iScience 2023-11, Vol.26 (11), p.108154-108154, Article 108154
• Main Authors: Dehnavi, Fereshteh, Koo-Poeggel, Ping Chai, Ghorbani, Maryam, Marshall, Lisa
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: biological sciences; chronobiology; clinical neuroscience; health sciences; natural sciences; neurology; neuroscience
• ISSN: 2589-0042; 2589-0042
• DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2023.108154

Temporal interactions between non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep rhythms especially the coupling between cortical slow oscillations (SO, ∼1 Hz) and thalamic spindles (∼12 Hz) have been proposed to contribute to multi-regional interactions crucial for memory processing and cognitive ability. We investigated relationships between NREM sleep depth, sleep spindles and SO-spindle coupling regarding memory ability and memory consolidation in healthy humans. Findings underscore the functional relevance of spindle dynamics (slow versus fast), SO-phase, and most importantly NREM sleep depth for cognitive processing. Cross-frequency coupling analyses demonstrated stronger precise temporal coordination of slow spindles to SO down-state in N2 for subjects with higher general memory ability. A GLM model underscored this relationship, and furthermore that fast spindle properties were predictive of overnight memory consolidation. Our results suggest cognitive fingerprints dependent on conjoint fine-tuned SO-spindle temporal coupling, spindle properties, and brain sleep state. [Display omitted] •Slow oscillation-slow spindle coupling in post-task sleep predicts memory ability•Memory retention relates oppositely with fast spindle activity in N2 versus N3•The relationship of fast spindles to retention depends on task type and sleep depth•Slow oscillation-fast spindle coupling correlates with procedural memory retention Health sciences; Neurology; Natural sciences; Biological sciences; Neuroscience; Clinical neuroscience; Chronobiology