Learning increases human electroencephalographic coherence during subsequent slow sleep oscillations

Matthias Mölle*, Lisa Marshall, Steffen Gais, Jan Born

*Korrespondierende/r Autor/-in für diese Arbeit
152 Zitate (Scopus)

Abstract

Learning is assumed to induce specific changes in neuronal activity during sleep that serve the consolidation of newly acquired memories. To specify such changes, we measured electroencephalographic (EEG) coherence during performance on a declarative learning task (word pair associations) and subsequent sleep. Compared with a nonlearning control condition, learning performance was accompanied with a strong increase in coherence in several EEG frequency bands. During subsequent non-rapid eye movement sleep, coherence only marginally increased in a global analysis of EEG recordings. However, a striking and robust increase in learning-dependent coherence was found when analyses were performed time-locked to the occurrence of slow oscillations (<1 Hz). Specifically, the surface-positive half-waves of the slow oscillation resulting from widespread cortical depolarization were associated with distinctly enhanced coherence after learning in the slow-oscillatory, delta, slow-spindle, and gamma bands. The findings identify the depolarizing phase of the slow oscillations in humans as a time period particularly relevant for a reprocessing of memories in sleep.

OriginalspracheEnglisch
ZeitschriftProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
Jahrgang101
Ausgabenummer38
Seiten (von - bis)13963-13968
Seitenumfang6
ISSN0027-8424
DOIs
PublikationsstatusVeröffentlicht - 21.09.2004

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