Noradrenergic activity during non-REM sleep and memory consolidation
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1
Department of Neuroendocrinology, University of Lübeck, Germany
In spite of the long-standing assumption that noradrenergic activity during sleep mainly reflects the state of low arousal, recent research has demonstrated that the locus coeruleus (LC), which is the main source of neocortical noradrenaline, displays periods of intense firing also when the organism is showing no signs of wakefulness. These transient LC activations occur during slow-wave sleep in response to preceding learning episodes. Here, we manipulate noradrenergic availability during sleep by administration of the α2-autoreceptor agonist clonidine, which blocks LC activity, or by administration of the noradrenaline reuptake inhibitor reboxetine. We show that blockade of noradrenergic activity during sleep, but not during wakefulness, impairs subsequent memory performance in an odour recognition task. Increasing noradrenergic availability during sleep with reboxetine, on the other hand, enhances subsequent memory performance. Thus, we conclude that noradrenergic activity during non-REM sleep does not merely reflect reduced responsiveness of the brain, but has an important functional role in memory consolidation.
Conference:
10th International Conference on Cognitive Neuroscience, Bodrum, Türkiye, 1 Sep - 5 Sep, 2008.
Presentation Type:
Oral Presentation
Topic:
Memory & Learning
Citation:
Gais
S,
Rasch
B and
Born
J
(2008). Noradrenergic activity during non-REM sleep and memory consolidation.
Conference Abstract:
10th International Conference on Cognitive Neuroscience.
doi: 10.3389/conf.neuro.09.2009.01.249
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Received:
09 Dec 2008;
Published Online:
09 Dec 2008.
*
Correspondence:
Steffen Gais, Department of Neuroendocrinology, University of Lübeck, Lübeck, Germany, gais@kfg.mu-luebeck.de