Auditory stimulation during REM sleep modulates REM electrophysiology and cognitive performance
Abstract REM sleep is critical for memory, emotion, and cognition. Manipulating brain activity during REM could improve our understanding of its function and benefits. Earlier studies have suggested that auditory stimulation in REM might modulate REM time and reduce rapid eye movement density. Build...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Nature Portfolio
2024-02-01
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| Series: | Communications Biology |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s42003-024-05825-2 |
| _version_ | 1797273576067301376 |
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| author | Miguel Navarrete Viviana Greco Martyna Rakowska Michele Bellesi Penelope A. Lewis |
| author_facet | Miguel Navarrete Viviana Greco Martyna Rakowska Michele Bellesi Penelope A. Lewis |
| author_sort | Miguel Navarrete |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract REM sleep is critical for memory, emotion, and cognition. Manipulating brain activity during REM could improve our understanding of its function and benefits. Earlier studies have suggested that auditory stimulation in REM might modulate REM time and reduce rapid eye movement density. Building on this, we studied the cognitive effects and electroencephalographic responses related to such stimulation. We used acoustic stimulation locked to eye movements during REM and compared two overnight conditions (stimulation and no-stimulation). We evaluated the impact of this stimulation on REM sleep duration and electrophysiology, as well as two REM-sensitive memory tasks: visual discrimination and mirror tracing. Our results show that this auditory stimulation in REM decreases the rapid eye movements that characterize REM sleep and improves performance on the visual task but is detrimental to the mirror tracing task. We also observed increased beta-band activity and decreased theta-band activity following stimulation. Interestingly, these spectral changes were associated with changes in behavioural performance. These results show that acoustic stimulation can modulate REM sleep and suggest that different memory processes underpin its divergent impacts on cognitive performance. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-07T14:45:22Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-189bbee187b94fb5847c479322f0f4fd |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2399-3642 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-07T14:45:22Z |
| publishDate | 2024-02-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Communications Biology |
| spelling | doaj.art-189bbee187b94fb5847c479322f0f4fd2024-03-05T19:59:25ZengNature PortfolioCommunications Biology2399-36422024-02-017111110.1038/s42003-024-05825-2Auditory stimulation during REM sleep modulates REM electrophysiology and cognitive performanceMiguel Navarrete0Viviana Greco1Martyna Rakowska2Michele Bellesi3Penelope A. Lewis4Cardiff University Brain Research Imaging Centre (CUBRIC), School of Psychology, Cardiff UniversityCardiff University Brain Research Imaging Centre (CUBRIC), School of Psychology, Cardiff UniversityCardiff University Brain Research Imaging Centre (CUBRIC), School of Psychology, Cardiff UniversitySchool of Biosciences and Veterinary Medicine, University of CamerinoCardiff University Brain Research Imaging Centre (CUBRIC), School of Psychology, Cardiff UniversityAbstract REM sleep is critical for memory, emotion, and cognition. Manipulating brain activity during REM could improve our understanding of its function and benefits. Earlier studies have suggested that auditory stimulation in REM might modulate REM time and reduce rapid eye movement density. Building on this, we studied the cognitive effects and electroencephalographic responses related to such stimulation. We used acoustic stimulation locked to eye movements during REM and compared two overnight conditions (stimulation and no-stimulation). We evaluated the impact of this stimulation on REM sleep duration and electrophysiology, as well as two REM-sensitive memory tasks: visual discrimination and mirror tracing. Our results show that this auditory stimulation in REM decreases the rapid eye movements that characterize REM sleep and improves performance on the visual task but is detrimental to the mirror tracing task. We also observed increased beta-band activity and decreased theta-band activity following stimulation. Interestingly, these spectral changes were associated with changes in behavioural performance. These results show that acoustic stimulation can modulate REM sleep and suggest that different memory processes underpin its divergent impacts on cognitive performance.https://doi.org/10.1038/s42003-024-05825-2 |
| spellingShingle | Miguel Navarrete Viviana Greco Martyna Rakowska Michele Bellesi Penelope A. Lewis Auditory stimulation during REM sleep modulates REM electrophysiology and cognitive performance Communications Biology |
| title | Auditory stimulation during REM sleep modulates REM electrophysiology and cognitive performance |
| title_full | Auditory stimulation during REM sleep modulates REM electrophysiology and cognitive performance |
| title_fullStr | Auditory stimulation during REM sleep modulates REM electrophysiology and cognitive performance |
| title_full_unstemmed | Auditory stimulation during REM sleep modulates REM electrophysiology and cognitive performance |
| title_short | Auditory stimulation during REM sleep modulates REM electrophysiology and cognitive performance |
| title_sort | auditory stimulation during rem sleep modulates rem electrophysiology and cognitive performance |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s42003-024-05825-2 |
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