Sleep spindles: a physiological marker of age-related changes in gray matter in brain regions supporting motor skill memory consolidation.
Sleep is necessary for the optimal consolidation of procedural learning, and in particular, for motor sequential skills. Motor sequence learning remains intact with age, but sleep-dependent consolidation is impaired, suggesting that memory deficits for procedural skills are specifically impacted by age-related changes in sleep. Age-related changes in spindles may be responsible for impaired motor sequence learning consolidation, but the morphological basis for this deficit is unknown. Here, we found that gray matter in the hippocampus and cerebellum was positively correlated with both sleep spindles and offline improvements in performance in young participants but not in older participants. These results suggest that age-related changes in gray matter in the hippocampus relate to spindles and may underlie age-related deficits in sleep-related motor sequence memory consolidation. In this way, spindles can serve as a biological marker for structural brain changes and the related memory deficits in older adults.
Functional Neuroimaging Unit, Centre de Recherche, Institut Universitaire de Gériatrie de Montréal, Montreal, Canada; Department of Psychology, University of Montreal, Montreal, Canada; School of Psychology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Canada; University of Ottawa Institute of Mental Health Research, Ottawa, Canada; University of Ottawa Brain and Mind Research Institute, Ottawa, Canada.
Stuart
S
Fogel
Functional Neuroimaging Unit, Centre de Recherche, Institut Universitaire de Gériatrie de Montréal, Montreal, Canada; Department of Psychology, University of Montreal, Montreal, Canada.
Catherine
C
Vien
Laboratory for Human Brain & Learning, Sagol Department of Neurobiology & the E.J. Safra Brain Research Center, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel.
Avi
A
Karni
Functional Neuroimaging Unit, Centre de Recherche, Institut Universitaire de Gériatrie de Montréal, Montreal, Canada; Functional Neuroimaging Laboratory, INSERM, Paris, France.
Habib
H
Benali
Functional Neuroimaging Unit, Centre de Recherche, Institut Universitaire de Gériatrie de Montréal, Montreal, Canada; Department of Psychology, University of Montreal, Montreal, Canada; Centre d'études Avancées en Médecine du Sommeil, Hôpital du Sacré-Cœur de Montréal, Montreal, Canada.
Julie
J
Carrier
Functional Neuroimaging Unit, Centre de Recherche, Institut Universitaire de Gériatrie de Montréal, Montreal, Canada; Department of Psychology, University of Montreal, Montreal, Canada. Electronic address: julien.doyon@umontreal.ca.
Julien
J
Doyon
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000375:Aging / Q000473:pathology / Q000502:physiology* / Q000523:psychology*; D015415:Biomarkers; D005260:Female; D066128:Gray Matter / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D007858:Learning / Q000502:physiology; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D000069077:Memory Consolidation / Q000502:physiology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009048:Motor Skills / Q000502:physiology*; D059906:Neuroimaging; D011597:Psychomotor Performance / Q000502:physiology; D012890:Sleep / Q000502:physiology*; D012894:Sleep Stages / Q000502:physiology*; D055815:Young Adult
D015415:Biomarkers
Age; Cerebellum; Consolidation; Hippocampus; Learning; Memory; Motor sequence learning; Motor skills; Procedural memory; Sleep; Spindle