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Halonen R, Luokkala S, Kuula L, Antila M, Pesonen AK. Right-lateralized sleep spindles are associated with neutral over emotional bias in picture recognition: An overnight study. COGNITIVE, AFFECTIVE & BEHAVIORAL NEUROSCIENCE 2023; 23:1445-1459. [PMID: 37308745 PMCID: PMC10260275 DOI: 10.3758/s13415-023-01113-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/10/2023] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Sleep is especially important for emotional memories, although the mechanisms for prioritizing emotional content are insufficiently known. As during waking, emotional processing during sleep may be hemispherically asymmetric; right-lateralized rapid-eye movement (REM) sleep theta (~4-7 Hz) is reportedly associated with emotional memory retention. No research exists on lateralized non-REM sleep oscillations. However, sleep spindles, especially when coupled with slow oscillations (SOs), facilitate off-line memory consolidation.Our primary goal was to examine how the lateralization (right-to-left contrast) of REM theta, sleep spindles, and SO-spindle coupling is associated with overnight recognition memory in a task consisting of neutral and emotionally aversive pictures. Thirty-two healthy adults encoded 150 target pictures before overnight sleep. The recognition of target pictures among foils (discriminability, d') was tested immediately, 12 hours, and 24 hours after encoding.Recognition discriminability between targets and foils was similar for neutral and emotional pictures in immediate and 12-h retrievals. After 24 hours, emotional pictures were less accurately discriminated (p < 0.001). Emotional difference at 24-h retrieval was associated with right-to-left contrast in frontal fast spindle density (p < 0.001). The lateralization of SO-spindle coupling was associated with higher neutral versus emotional difference across all retrievals (p = 0.004).Our findings contribute to a largely unstudied area in sleep-related memory research. Hemispheric asymmetry in non-REM sleep oscillations may contribute to how neutral versus emotional information is processed. This is presumably underlain by both mechanistic offline memory consolidation and a trait-like cognitive/affective bias that influences memory encoding and retrieval. Methodological choices and participants' affective traits are likely involved.
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Affiliation(s)
- Risto Halonen
- SleepWell Research Program, Research Program Unit, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 21, 00014, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Sanni Luokkala
- Department of Psychology and Logopedics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 21, 00014, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Liisa Kuula
- SleepWell Research Program, Research Program Unit, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 21, 00014, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Minea Antila
- Department of Psychology and Logopedics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 21, 00014, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Anu-Katriina Pesonen
- SleepWell Research Program, Research Program Unit, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 21, 00014, Helsinki, Finland.
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Ancelin M, Jaussent I, Ritchie K, Besset A, Ryan J, Dauvilliers Y. Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) variants and promoter I methylation are associated with prolonged nocturnal awakenings in older adults. J Sleep Res 2023; 32:e13838. [PMID: 36737401 PMCID: PMC10909562 DOI: 10.1111/jsr.13838] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2022] [Revised: 01/12/2023] [Accepted: 01/12/2023] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is important for sleep physiology. This study investigates whether BDNF variants and promoter I methylation may be implicated in sleep disturbances in older adults. Genotyping was performed for seven BDNF single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in 355 community-dwelling older adults (aged ≥65 years) and BDNF exon 1 promoter methylation was measured in blood samples at baseline (n = 153). Self-reported daytime sleepiness and insomnia, ambulatory polysomnography measures of sleep continuity and architecture, and psychotropic drug intake were assayed during follow-up. Logistic regression adjusted for age, sex, comorbidities, body mass index, and psychotropic drug intake. Associations were found specifically between wake time after sleep onset (WASO) and four SNPs in the participants not taking psychotropic drugs, whereas in those taking drugs, the associations were either not significant (rs6265 and rs7103411) or in the reverse direction (rs11030101 and rs28722151). Higher BDNF methylation levels were found at most CpG units in those with long WASO and this varied according to psychotropic drug use. The reference group with short WASO not taking drugs showed the lowest methylation levels and the group with long WASO taking treatment, the highest levels. Some SNPs also modified the associations, the participants carrying the low-risk genotype having the lower methylation levels. This genetic and epigenetic study demonstrated blood BDNF promoter methylation to be a potential biomarker of prolonged nocturnal awakenings in older people. Our results suggest the modifying effect of psychotropic drugs and BDNF genetic variants in the associations between methylation and WASO.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Karen Ritchie
- INM, INSERMUniv MontpellierMontpellierFrance
- Institut du Cerveau TrocadéroParisFrance
| | | | - Joanne Ryan
- Department of Epidemiology and Preventive MedicineMonash UniversityMelbourneVictoriaAustralia
| | - Yves Dauvilliers
- INM, INSERMUniv MontpellierMontpellierFrance
- Sleep‐Wake Disorders UnitDepartment of Neurology, Gui‐de‐Chauliac HospitalCHU MontpellierFrance
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Rovný R, Marko M, Michalko D, Mitka M, Cimrová B, Vančová Z, Jarčušková D, Dragašek J, Minárik G, Riečanský I. BDNF Val66Met polymorphism is associated with consolidation of episodic memory during sleep. Biol Psychol 2023; 179:108568. [PMID: 37075935 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsycho.2023.108568] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2022] [Revised: 04/12/2023] [Accepted: 04/16/2023] [Indexed: 04/21/2023]
Abstract
The brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is an essential regulator of synaptic plasticity, a candidate neurobiological mechanism underlying learning and memory. A functional polymorphism in the BDNF gene, Val66Met (rs6265), has been linked to memory and cognition in healthy individuals and clinical populations. Sleep contributes to memory consolidation, yet information about the possible role of BDNF in this process is scarce. To address this question, we investigated the relationship between the BDNF Val66Met genotype and consolidation of episodic declarative and procedural (motor) non-declarative memories in healthy adults. The carriers of Met66 allele, as compared with Val66 homozygotes, showed stronger forgetting overnight (24hours after encoding), but not over shorter time (immediately or 20minutes after word list presentation). There was no effect of Val66Met genotype on motor learning. These data suggest that BDNF plays a role in neuroplasticity underlying episodic memory consolidation during sleep.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rastislav Rovný
- Department of Behavioural Neuroscience, Centre of Experimental Medicine, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Martin Marko
- Department of Behavioural Neuroscience, Centre of Experimental Medicine, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Drahomír Michalko
- Department of Behavioural Neuroscience, Centre of Experimental Medicine, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Milan Mitka
- Department of Behavioural Neuroscience, Centre of Experimental Medicine, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Barbora Cimrová
- Department of Behavioural Neuroscience, Centre of Experimental Medicine, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Zuzana Vančová
- 1st Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, Pavol Jozef Šafárik University and University Hospital, Košice, Slovakia
| | - Dominika Jarčušková
- 1st Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, Pavol Jozef Šafárik University and University Hospital, Košice, Slovakia
| | - Jozef Dragašek
- 1st Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, Pavol Jozef Šafárik University and University Hospital, Košice, Slovakia
| | | | - Igor Riečanský
- Department of Behavioural Neuroscience, Centre of Experimental Medicine, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, Slovakia; Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, Slovak Medical University, Bratislava, Slovakia.
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Halonen R, Kuula L, Lahti J, Räikkönen K, Pesonen AK. The association between overnight recognition accuracy and slow oscillation-spindle coupling is moderated by BDNF Val66Met. Behav Brain Res 2022; 428:113889. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2022.113889] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2021] [Revised: 03/30/2022] [Accepted: 04/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
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Halonen R, Kuula L, Antila M, Pesonen AK. The Overnight Retention of Novel Metaphors Associates With Slow Oscillation-Spindle Coupling but Not With Respiratory Phase at Encoding. Front Behav Neurosci 2021; 15:712774. [PMID: 34531730 PMCID: PMC8439423 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2021.712774] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2021] [Accepted: 08/04/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Accumulating evidence emphasizes the relevance of oscillatory synchrony in memory consolidation during sleep. Sleep spindles promote memory retention, especially when occurring in the depolarized upstate of slow oscillation (SO). A less studied topic is the inter-spindle synchrony, i.e. the temporal overlap and phasic coherence between spindles perceived in different electroencephalography channels. In this study, we examined how synchrony between SOs and spindles, as well as between simultaneous spindles, is associated with the retention of novel verbal metaphors. Moreover, we combined the encoding of the metaphors with respiratory phase (inhalation/exhalation) with the aim of modulating the strength of memorized items, as previous studies have shown that inhalation entrains neural activity, thereby benefiting memory in a waking condition. In the current study, 27 young adults underwent a two-night mixed-design study with a 12-h delayed memory task during both sleep and waking conditions. As expected, we found better retention over the delay containing sleep, and this outcome was strongly associated with the timing of SO–spindle coupling. However, no associations were observed regarding inter-spindle synchrony or respiratory phase. These findings contribute to a better understanding of the importance of SO–spindle coupling for memory. In contrast, the observed lack of association with inter-spindle synchrony may emphasize the local nature of spindle-related plasticity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Risto Halonen
- Sleepwell Research Program, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Liisa Kuula
- Sleepwell Research Program, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Minea Antila
- Sleepwell Research Program, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Anu-Katriina Pesonen
- Sleepwell Research Program, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
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The association between sleep-wake ratio and overnight picture recognition is moderated by BDNF genotype. Neurobiol Learn Mem 2020; 177:107353. [PMID: 33253827 DOI: 10.1016/j.nlm.2020.107353] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2020] [Revised: 09/17/2020] [Accepted: 11/24/2020] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
A wealth of studies supports the role of sleep in memory performance. Experimentally controlled studies indicate that prolonged wake after memory encoding is detrimental for memory outcome whereas sleep protects from wake-time interference and promotes memory consolidation. We examined how the natural distribution of wake and sleep between encoding and retrieval associated with overnight picture recognition accuracy among 161 adolescents following their typical sleep schedule with an in-home polysomnography. The memorized pictures varied in their level of arousal (calm to exciting) and valence (negative to positive). Suspecting genotypic influence on the sensitivity for sleep/wake dynamics, we also assessed if these associations were affected by known gene polymorphisms involved in neural plasticity and sleep homeostasis: brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) Val66Met and Catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) Val158Met. In the whole sample, overnight recognition accuracy was associated with the levels of arousal and valence of the pictures, but not with sleep percentage (i.e. the percentage of time spent asleep between memory encoding and retrieval). While the allelic status of BDNF or COMT did not have any main effect on recognition accuracy, a significant moderation by BDNF Val66Met was found (p = .004): the subgroup homozygous for valine allele showed positive association between sleep percentage and recognition accuracy. This was underlain by detrimental influence of wake, rather than by any memory benefit of sleep. Our results complement the mounting evidence that the relation between sleep and memory performance is moderated by BDNF Val66Met. Further studies are needed to clarify the specific mechanisms.
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The Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor: Missing Link Between Sleep Deprivation, Insomnia, and Depression. Neurochem Res 2019; 45:221-231. [PMID: 31782101 DOI: 10.1007/s11064-019-02914-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 64] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2019] [Revised: 11/08/2019] [Accepted: 11/17/2019] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
The brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) mediates the plasticity-related changes that associate with memory processing during sleep. Sleep deprivation and chronic stress are associated with propensity to depression, anxiety, and insomnia. We propose a model by which explain alterations in the CNS and serum expression of BDNF associated with chronic sleep deprivation, depression, and insomnia. Mild sleep deprivation activates the cerebral cortex and brainstem to generate the physiologic drive for non-rapid eye movement (NREM) and rapid eye movement (REM) sleep drive respectively, associated with BDNF upregulation in these regions. This physiological response loses effectiveness with longer episodes or during chronic of total or selective REM sleep loss, which are associated with impaired hippocampal BDNF expression, impaired memory and cognition. Chronic sleep deprivation and insomnia can act as an external stressors and result in depression, characterized by hippocampal BDNF downregulation along with disrupted frontal cortical BDNF expression, as well as reduced levels and impaired diurnal alterations in serum BDNF expression. Acute REM sleep deprivation breaks the cycle by restoration of hippocampal, and possibly restoration of cortical and serum expression of BDNF. The BDNF Val66Met polymorphism alters susceptibility to depression, anxiety, and insomnia by altering availability and expression of BDNF in brain and blood. The proposed model is testable and implies that low levels and low variability in serum BDNF are associated with poor response to anti-depressive medications, electroconvulsive therapy, and REM sleep deprivation, in patients with depression. Our mode is also backed up by the existing clinical evidence but is yet to be investigated.
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