title: Light sleep versus slow wave sleep in memory consolidation: a question of global versus local processes?
abstract: Sleep is strongly involved in memory consolidation, but its role remains unclear. 'Sleep replay', the active potentiation of relevant synaptic connections via reactivation of patterns of network activity that occurred during previous experience, has received considerable attention. Alternatively, sleep has been suggested to regulate synaptic weights homeostatically and nonspecifically, thereby improving the signal:noise ratio of memory traces. Here, we reconcile these theories by highlighting the distinction between light and deep nonrapid eye movement (NREM) sleep. Specifically, we draw on recent studies to suggest a link between light NREM and active potentiation, and between deep NREM and homeostatic regulation. This framework could serve as a key for interpreting the physiology of sleep stages and reconciling inconsistencies in terminology in this field.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Cognitive and Neural Systems, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH8 9JZ2, UK. Electronic address: lgenzel@ed.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Lisa
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Genzel
authors.affiliation: Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition, and Behaviour, Radboud University Nijmegen, 6525AJ, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Marijn C W
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Kroes
authors.affiliation: Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, 80804, Munich, Germany.
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Dresler
authors.affiliation: Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition, and Behaviour, Radboud University Nijmegen, 6525AJ, Nijmegen, The Netherlands; NERF - Neuroelectronics Research Flanders, VIB - Vlaams Instituut voor Biotechnologie, B-3001, Leuven, Belgium. Electronic address: F.Battaglia@science.ru.nl.
authors.forename: Francesco P
authors.initials: FP
authors.lastname: Battaglia
mesh_terms: D001921:Brain / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008568:Memory / Q000502:physiology*; D012890:Sleep / Q000502:physiology*
keywords: SWR; downscaling; memory consolidation; replay; sleep; sleep stages; spindles