TY - JOUR
T1 - Auditory closed-loop stimulation of EEG slow oscillations strengthens sleep and signs of its immune-supportive function
AU - Besedovsky, Luciana
AU - Ngo, Hong Viet V.
AU - Dimitrov, Stoyan
AU - Gassenmaier, Christoph
AU - Lehmann, Rainer
AU - Born, Jan
N1 - Funding Information:
We are grateful to Ilja Goldins and Samuel Büttner for technical assistance. This work was supported by grants from the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (TR-SFB 654) and from the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research to the German Center for Diabetes Research (01GI0925).
Publisher Copyright:
© 2017 The Author(s).
Copyright:
Copyright 2020 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.
PY - 2017/12/1
Y1 - 2017/12/1
N2 - Sleep is essential for health. Slow wave sleep (SWS), the deepest sleep stage hallmarked by electroencephalographic slow oscillations (SOs), appears of particular relevance here. SWS is associated with a unique endocrine milieu comprising minimum cortisol and high aldosterone, growth hormone (GH), and prolactin levels, thereby presumably fostering efficient adaptive immune responses. Yet, whether SWS causes these changes is unclear. Here we enhance SOs in men by auditory closed-loop stimulation, i.e., by delivering tones in synchrony with endogenous SOs. Stimulation intensifies the hormonal milieu characterizing SWS (mainly by further reducing cortisol and increasing aldosterone levels) and reduces T and B cell counts, likely reflecting a redistribution of these cells to lymphoid tissues. GH remains unchanged. In conclusion, closed-loop stimulation of SOs is an easy-to-use tool for probing SWS functions, and might also bear the potential to ameliorate conditions like depression and aging, where disturbed sleep coalesces with specific hormonal and immunological dysregulations.
AB - Sleep is essential for health. Slow wave sleep (SWS), the deepest sleep stage hallmarked by electroencephalographic slow oscillations (SOs), appears of particular relevance here. SWS is associated with a unique endocrine milieu comprising minimum cortisol and high aldosterone, growth hormone (GH), and prolactin levels, thereby presumably fostering efficient adaptive immune responses. Yet, whether SWS causes these changes is unclear. Here we enhance SOs in men by auditory closed-loop stimulation, i.e., by delivering tones in synchrony with endogenous SOs. Stimulation intensifies the hormonal milieu characterizing SWS (mainly by further reducing cortisol and increasing aldosterone levels) and reduces T and B cell counts, likely reflecting a redistribution of these cells to lymphoid tissues. GH remains unchanged. In conclusion, closed-loop stimulation of SOs is an easy-to-use tool for probing SWS functions, and might also bear the potential to ameliorate conditions like depression and aging, where disturbed sleep coalesces with specific hormonal and immunological dysregulations.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85038083659&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1038/s41467-017-02170-3
DO - 10.1038/s41467-017-02170-3
M3 - Journal articles
C2 - 29215045
AN - SCOPUS:85038083659
SN - 1751-8628
VL - 8
JO - Nature Communications
JF - Nature Communications
IS - 1
M1 - 1984
ER -
