TY - JOUR
T1 - Sounding it out: Auditory stimulation and overnight memory processing
AU - Harrington, Marcus O.
AU - Cairney, Scott A.
N1 - Funding Information:
This work was supported by a Medical Research Council (MRC) Career Development Award (MR/P020208/1) to S.A.C.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2021, The Author(s).
PY - 2021/9
Y1 - 2021/9
N2 - Purpose of Review: Auditory stimulation is a technique that can enhance neural oscillations linked to overnight memory consolidation. In this review, we evaluate the impacts of auditory stimulation on the neural oscillations of sleep and associated memory processes in a variety of populations. Recent Findings: Cortical EEG recordings of slow-wave sleep (SWS) are characterised by two cardinal oscillations: slow oscillations (SOs) and sleep spindles. Auditory stimulation delivered in SWS enhances SOs and phase-coupled spindle activity in healthy children and adults, children with ADHD, adults with mild cognitive impairment and patients with major depression. Under certain conditions, auditory stimulation bolsters the benefits of SWS for memory consolidation, although further work is required to fully understand the factors affecting stimulation-related memory gains. Recent work has turned to rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, demonstrating that auditory stimulation can be used to manipulate REM sleep theta oscillations. Summary: Auditory stimulation enhances oscillations linked to overnight memory processing and shows promise as a technique for enhancing the memory benefits of sleep.
AB - Purpose of Review: Auditory stimulation is a technique that can enhance neural oscillations linked to overnight memory consolidation. In this review, we evaluate the impacts of auditory stimulation on the neural oscillations of sleep and associated memory processes in a variety of populations. Recent Findings: Cortical EEG recordings of slow-wave sleep (SWS) are characterised by two cardinal oscillations: slow oscillations (SOs) and sleep spindles. Auditory stimulation delivered in SWS enhances SOs and phase-coupled spindle activity in healthy children and adults, children with ADHD, adults with mild cognitive impairment and patients with major depression. Under certain conditions, auditory stimulation bolsters the benefits of SWS for memory consolidation, although further work is required to fully understand the factors affecting stimulation-related memory gains. Recent work has turned to rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, demonstrating that auditory stimulation can be used to manipulate REM sleep theta oscillations. Summary: Auditory stimulation enhances oscillations linked to overnight memory processing and shows promise as a technique for enhancing the memory benefits of sleep.
KW - Closed-loop stimulation
KW - Memory consolidation
KW - Rapid eye movement sleep
KW - Sleep spindles
KW - Slow oscillations
KW - Slow-wave sleep
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85110527598&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1007/s40675-021-00207-0
DO - 10.1007/s40675-021-00207-0
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85110527598
SN - 2198-6401
VL - 7
SP - 112
EP - 119
JO - Current Sleep Medicine Reports
JF - Current Sleep Medicine Reports
IS - 3
ER -