Impaired Declarative Memory Consolidation During Sleep in Patients With Primary Insomnia: Influence of Sleep Architecture and Nocturnal Cortisol Release

Jutta Backhaus; Klaus Junghanns; Jan Born; Kornelia Hohaus; Frauke Faasch; Fritz Hohagen

doi:10.1016/j.biopsych.2006.03.051

Impaired Declarative Memory Consolidation During Sleep in Patients With Primary Insomnia: Influence of Sleep Architecture and Nocturnal Cortisol Release

Jutta Backhaus^*, Klaus Junghanns, Jan Born, Kornelia Hohaus, Frauke Faasch, Fritz Hohagen

^*Corresponding author for this work

Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapie

225 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Background: A central cognitive function of sleep is to consolidate newly acquired memories for long-term storage. Here, we investigated whether the overnight consolidation of declarative memory in patients with chronic sleep disturbances is impaired, owing to less slow wave sleep (SWS) and an increased cortisol release. Methods: Polysomnographic recordings, serum cortisol concentrations, and overnight memory consolidation in 16 patients with primary insomnia were compared with those of 13 healthy control subjects. Results: Patients displayed distinctly less overnight consolidation of declarative memory (p < .05), which was significantly correlated with SWS in the control subjects (r = .69) but with rapid eye movement (REM) sleep in the patients (r = .56), who had a diminished amount of SWS (p < .05). Increased cortisol levels in the middle of the night were associated with impaired retrieval of declarative memory after sleep for both control subjects (r = -.52) and patients (r = -.46). Conclusions: Primary insomnia is associated with a diminished sleep-related consolidation of declarative memory. Efficient overnight consolidation of declarative memory is associated with high amounts of SWS and low serum cortisol levels during the early part of the night. Where SWS is decreased, REM sleep might play a partly compensatory role in the consolidation of declarative memory.

Original language	English
Journal	Biological Psychiatry
Volume	60
Issue number	12
Pages (from-to)	1324-1330
Number of pages	7
ISSN	0006-3223
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biopsych.2006.03.051
Publication status	Published - 15.12.2006

Funding

This study was supported by a grant from the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (to JBa and KJ; BA 2022/2).

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

SDG 3 Good Health and Well-being
SDG 10 Reduced Inequalities

Research Areas and Centers

Academic Focus: Center for Brain, Behavior and Metabolism (CBBM)

Access to Document

10.1016/j.biopsych.2006.03.051

Cite this

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title = "Impaired Declarative Memory Consolidation During Sleep in Patients With Primary Insomnia: Influence of Sleep Architecture and Nocturnal Cortisol Release",

abstract = "Background: A central cognitive function of sleep is to consolidate newly acquired memories for long-term storage. Here, we investigated whether the overnight consolidation of declarative memory in patients with chronic sleep disturbances is impaired, owing to less slow wave sleep (SWS) and an increased cortisol release. Methods: Polysomnographic recordings, serum cortisol concentrations, and overnight memory consolidation in 16 patients with primary insomnia were compared with those of 13 healthy control subjects. Results: Patients displayed distinctly less overnight consolidation of declarative memory (p < .05), which was significantly correlated with SWS in the control subjects (r = .69) but with rapid eye movement (REM) sleep in the patients (r = .56), who had a diminished amount of SWS (p < .05). Increased cortisol levels in the middle of the night were associated with impaired retrieval of declarative memory after sleep for both control subjects (r = -.52) and patients (r = -.46). Conclusions: Primary insomnia is associated with a diminished sleep-related consolidation of declarative memory. Efficient overnight consolidation of declarative memory is associated with high amounts of SWS and low serum cortisol levels during the early part of the night. Where SWS is decreased, REM sleep might play a partly compensatory role in the consolidation of declarative memory.",

author = "Jutta Backhaus and Klaus Junghanns and Jan Born and Kornelia Hohaus and Frauke Faasch and Fritz Hohagen",

year = "2006",

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language = "English",

volume = "60",

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T1 - Impaired Declarative Memory Consolidation During Sleep in Patients With Primary Insomnia: Influence of Sleep Architecture and Nocturnal Cortisol Release

AU - Backhaus, Jutta

AU - Junghanns, Klaus

AU - Born, Jan

AU - Hohaus, Kornelia

AU - Faasch, Frauke

AU - Hohagen, Fritz

PY - 2006/12/15

Y1 - 2006/12/15

N2 - Background: A central cognitive function of sleep is to consolidate newly acquired memories for long-term storage. Here, we investigated whether the overnight consolidation of declarative memory in patients with chronic sleep disturbances is impaired, owing to less slow wave sleep (SWS) and an increased cortisol release. Methods: Polysomnographic recordings, serum cortisol concentrations, and overnight memory consolidation in 16 patients with primary insomnia were compared with those of 13 healthy control subjects. Results: Patients displayed distinctly less overnight consolidation of declarative memory (p < .05), which was significantly correlated with SWS in the control subjects (r = .69) but with rapid eye movement (REM) sleep in the patients (r = .56), who had a diminished amount of SWS (p < .05). Increased cortisol levels in the middle of the night were associated with impaired retrieval of declarative memory after sleep for both control subjects (r = -.52) and patients (r = -.46). Conclusions: Primary insomnia is associated with a diminished sleep-related consolidation of declarative memory. Efficient overnight consolidation of declarative memory is associated with high amounts of SWS and low serum cortisol levels during the early part of the night. Where SWS is decreased, REM sleep might play a partly compensatory role in the consolidation of declarative memory.

AB - Background: A central cognitive function of sleep is to consolidate newly acquired memories for long-term storage. Here, we investigated whether the overnight consolidation of declarative memory in patients with chronic sleep disturbances is impaired, owing to less slow wave sleep (SWS) and an increased cortisol release. Methods: Polysomnographic recordings, serum cortisol concentrations, and overnight memory consolidation in 16 patients with primary insomnia were compared with those of 13 healthy control subjects. Results: Patients displayed distinctly less overnight consolidation of declarative memory (p < .05), which was significantly correlated with SWS in the control subjects (r = .69) but with rapid eye movement (REM) sleep in the patients (r = .56), who had a diminished amount of SWS (p < .05). Increased cortisol levels in the middle of the night were associated with impaired retrieval of declarative memory after sleep for both control subjects (r = -.52) and patients (r = -.46). Conclusions: Primary insomnia is associated with a diminished sleep-related consolidation of declarative memory. Efficient overnight consolidation of declarative memory is associated with high amounts of SWS and low serum cortisol levels during the early part of the night. Where SWS is decreased, REM sleep might play a partly compensatory role in the consolidation of declarative memory.

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SN - 0006-3223

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Impaired Declarative Memory Consolidation During Sleep in Patients With Primary Insomnia: Influence of Sleep Architecture and Nocturnal Cortisol Release

Abstract

Funding

UN SDGs

Research Areas and Centers

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CRC 654: Plasticity and Sleep

Cite this

Impaired Declarative Memory Consolidation During Sleep in Patients With Primary Insomnia: Influence of Sleep Architecture and Nocturnal Cortisol Release

Abstract

Funding

UN SDGs

Research Areas and Centers

Access to Document

Other files and links

Fingerprint

Projects

CRC 654: Plasticity and Sleep

Cite this