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Alanazi FI, Bravo CAR, Moreno JSS, Botero-Posada LF, Ladino LD, Rios ALL, Hutchison WD. Modulation of neuronal activity in human centromedian nucleus during an auditory attention and working memory task. Neuroimage 2024; 296:120686. [PMID: 38871037 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2024.120686] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2024] [Revised: 06/08/2024] [Accepted: 06/11/2024] [Indexed: 06/15/2024] Open
Abstract
Centromedian nucleus (CM) is one of several intralaminar nuclei of the thalamus and is thought to be involved in consciousness, arousal, and attention. CM has been suggested to play a key role in the control of attention, by regulating the flow of information to different brain regions such as the ascending reticular system, basal ganglia, and cortex. While the neurophysiology of attention in visual and auditory systems has been studied in animal models, combined single unit and LFP recordings in human have not, to our knowledge, been reported. Here, we recorded neuronal activity in the CM nucleus in 11 patients prior to insertion of deep brain stimulation electrodes for the treatment of epilepsy while subjects performed an auditory attention task. Patients were requested to attend and count the infrequent (p = 0.2) odd or "deviant" tones, ignore the frequent standard tones and report the total number of deviant tones at trial completion. Spikes were discriminated, and LFPs were band pass filtered (5-45 Hz). Average peri‑stimulus time histograms and spectra were constructed by aligning on tone onsets and statistically compared. The firing rate of CM neurons showed selective, multi-phasic responses to deviant tones in 81% of the tested neurons. Local field potential analysis showed selective beta and low gamma (13-45 Hz) modulations in response to deviant tones, also in a multi-phasic pattern. The current study demonstrates that CM neurons are under top-down control and participate in the selective processing during auditory attention and working memory. These results, taken together, implicate the CM in selective auditory attention and working memory and support a role of beta and low gamma oscillatory activity in cognitive processes. It also has potential implications for DBS therapy for epilepsy and non-motor symptoms of PD, such as apathy and other disorders of attention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frhan I Alanazi
- Department of Physiology, University of Toronto, Canada; Krembil Brain Institute, Leonard St, Toronto Ontario, Canada; Department of Basic Sciences, Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz College for Emergency Medical Services, King Saud University, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
| | | | - Juan Sebastián Saavedra Moreno
- Hospital Universitario San Vicente Fundación, Medellín, Colombia; Hospital San Vicente Fundación, Rionegro, Colombia; Department of Neurology, University of Antioquia, Medellín, Colombia
| | - Luis Fernando Botero-Posada
- Hospital Universitario San Vicente Fundación, Medellín, Colombia; Hospital San Vicente Fundación, Rionegro, Colombia
| | - Lady Diana Ladino
- Hospital Universitario San Vicente Fundación, Medellín, Colombia; Hospital San Vicente Fundación, Rionegro, Colombia; Department of Neurology, University of Antioquia, Medellín, Colombia
| | - Adriana Lucia Lopez Rios
- Hospital Universitario San Vicente Fundación, Medellín, Colombia; Hospital San Vicente Fundación, Rionegro, Colombia
| | - William D Hutchison
- Department of Physiology, University of Toronto, Canada; Krembil Brain Institute, Leonard St, Toronto Ontario, Canada; Hospital San Vicente Fundación, Rionegro, Colombia; Department of Surgery, University of Toronto, Canada
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Pérez P, Manasova D, Hermann B, Raimondo F, Rohaut B, Bekinschtein TA, Naccache L, Arzi A, Sitt JD. Content-state dimensions characterize different types of neuronal markers of consciousness. Neurosci Conscious 2024; 2024:niae027. [PMID: 39011546 PMCID: PMC11246840 DOI: 10.1093/nc/niae027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2023] [Revised: 05/30/2024] [Accepted: 06/08/2024] [Indexed: 07/17/2024] Open
Abstract
Identifying the neuronal markers of consciousness is key to supporting the different scientific theories of consciousness. Neuronal markers of consciousness can be defined to reflect either the brain signatures underlying specific conscious content or those supporting different states of consciousness, two aspects traditionally studied separately. In this paper, we introduce a framework to characterize markers according to their dynamics in both the "state" and "content" dimensions. The 2D space is defined by the marker's capacity to distinguish the conscious states from non-conscious states (on the x-axis) and the content (e.g. perceived versus unperceived or different levels of cognitive processing on the y-axis). According to the sign of the x- and y-axis, markers are separated into four quadrants in terms of how they distinguish the state and content dimensions. We implement the framework using three types of electroencephalography markers: markers of connectivity, markers of complexity, and spectral summaries. The neuronal markers of state are represented by the level of consciousness in (i) healthy participants during a nap and (ii) patients with disorders of consciousness. On the other hand, the neuronal markers of content are represented by (i) the conscious content in healthy participants' perception task using a visual awareness paradigm and (ii) conscious processing of hierarchical regularities using an auditory local-global paradigm. In both cases, we see separate clusters of markers with correlated and anticorrelated dynamics, shedding light on the complex relationship between the state and content of consciousness and emphasizing the importance of considering them simultaneously. This work presents an innovative framework for studying consciousness by examining neuronal markers in a 2D space, providing a valuable resource for future research, with potential applications using diverse experimental paradigms, neural recording techniques, and modeling investigations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pauline Pérez
- Institut du Cerveau - Paris Brain Institute, Inserm, CNRS, Sorbonne Université, Paris 75013, France
- Hospice Civils de Lyon—HCL, Département anesthésie-réanimation, Hôpital Edouard Herriot
- Neuro ICU, DMU Neurosciences, AP-HP, Hôpital de la Pitié Salpêtrière, Paris 75013, France
| | - Dragana Manasova
- Institut du Cerveau - Paris Brain Institute, Inserm, CNRS, Sorbonne Université, Paris 75013, France
- Université Paris Cité, Paris 75006, France
| | - Bertrand Hermann
- Institut du Cerveau - Paris Brain Institute, Inserm, CNRS, Sorbonne Université, Paris 75013, France
- Université Paris Cité, Paris 75006, France
- Medical Intensive Care Unit, HEGP Hôpital, Assistance Publique—Hôpitaux de Paris-Centre (APHP-Centre), Paris 75015, France
| | - Federico Raimondo
- Institut du Cerveau - Paris Brain Institute, Inserm, CNRS, Sorbonne Université, Paris 75013, France
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-7: Brain and Behaviour), Research Centre Jülich, Jülich 52428, Germany
- Institute of Systems Neuroscience, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Dusseldorf 40225, Germany
| | - Benjamin Rohaut
- Institut du Cerveau - Paris Brain Institute, Inserm, CNRS, Sorbonne Université, Paris 75013, France
- Neuro ICU, DMU Neurosciences, AP-HP, Hôpital de la Pitié Salpêtrière, Paris 75013, France
| | - Tristán A Bekinschtein
- Consciousness and Cognition Lab, Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3EB, United Kingdom
| | - Lionel Naccache
- Institut du Cerveau - Paris Brain Institute, Inserm, CNRS, Sorbonne Université, Paris 75013, France
- AP-HP, Hôpital Pitié-Salpêtrière, Service de Neurophysiologie Clinique, Paris 75013, France
| | - Anat Arzi
- Institut du Cerveau - Paris Brain Institute, Inserm, CNRS, Sorbonne Université, Paris 75013, France
- Consciousness and Cognition Lab, Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3EB, United Kingdom
- Department of Medical Neurobiology, Institute for Medical Research Israel Canada and Department of Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Jacobo D Sitt
- Institut du Cerveau - Paris Brain Institute, Inserm, CNRS, Sorbonne Université, Paris 75013, France
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Boscher F, Jumel K, Dvořáková T, Gentet LJ, Urbain N. Thalamocortical Dynamics during Rapid Eye Movement Sleep in the Mouse Somatosensory Pathway. J Neurosci 2024; 44:e0158242024. [PMID: 38769008 PMCID: PMC11209666 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.0158-24.2024] [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: 01/23/2024] [Revised: 05/02/2024] [Accepted: 05/13/2024] [Indexed: 05/22/2024] Open
Abstract
Rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, also referred to as paradoxical sleep for the striking resemblance of its electroencephalogram (EEG) to the one observed in wakefulness, is characterized by the occurrence of transient events such as limb twitches or facial and rapid eye movements. Here, we investigated the local activity of the primary somatosensory or barrel cortex (S1) in naturally sleeping head-fixed male mice during REM. Through local field potential recordings, we uncovered local appearances of spindle waves in the barrel cortex during REM concomitant with strong delta power, challenging the view of a wakefulness-like activity in REM. We further performed extra- and intracellular recordings of thalamic cells in head-fixed mice. Our data show high-frequency thalamic bursts of spikes and subthreshold spindle oscillations in approximately half of the neurons of the ventral posterior medial nucleus which further confirmed the thalamic origin of local cortical spindles in S1 in REM. Cortical spindle oscillations were suppressed, while thalamus spike firing increased, associated with rapid mouse whisker movements and S1 cortical activity transitioned to an activated state. During REM, the sensory thalamus and barrel cortex therefore alternate between high (wake-like) and low (non-REM sleep-like) activation states, potentially providing a neuronal substrate for mnemonic processes occurring during this paradoxical sleep stage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Flore Boscher
- Physiopathology of Sleep Networks, Université Claude Bernard-Lyon 1, Lyon 69500, France
| | - Katlyn Jumel
- Physiopathology of Sleep Networks, Université Claude Bernard-Lyon 1, Lyon 69500, France
| | - Tereza Dvořáková
- Physiopathology of Sleep Networks, Université Claude Bernard-Lyon 1, Lyon 69500, France
| | - Luc J Gentet
- Forgetting Processes and Cortical Dynamics, Lyon Neuroscience Research Center, INSERM U1028-CNRS UMR5292, Université Claude Bernard-Lyon 1, Lyon 69500, France
| | - Nadia Urbain
- Physiopathology of Sleep Networks, Université Claude Bernard-Lyon 1, Lyon 69500, France
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Tononi G, Boly M, Cirelli C. Consciousness and sleep. Neuron 2024; 112:1568-1594. [PMID: 38697113 PMCID: PMC11105109 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2024.04.011] [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: 03/07/2024] [Revised: 04/04/2024] [Accepted: 04/10/2024] [Indexed: 05/04/2024]
Abstract
Sleep is a universal, essential biological process. It is also an invaluable window on consciousness. It tells us that consciousness can be lost but also that it can be regained, in all its richness, when we are disconnected from the environment and unable to reflect. By considering the neurophysiological differences between dreaming and dreamless sleep, we can learn about the substrate of consciousness and understand why it vanishes. We also learn that the ongoing state of the substrate of consciousness determines the way each experience feels regardless of how it is triggered-endogenously or exogenously. Dreaming consciousness is also a window on sleep and its functions. Dreams tell us that the sleeping brain is remarkably lively, recombining intrinsic activation patterns from a vast repertoire, freed from the requirements of ongoing behavior and cognitive control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giulio Tononi
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI 53719, USA.
| | - Melanie Boly
- Department of Neurology, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI 53719, USA
| | - Chiara Cirelli
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI 53719, USA
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Schmidig FJ, Ruch S, Henke K. Episodic long-term memory formation during slow-wave sleep. eLife 2024; 12:RP89601. [PMID: 38661727 PMCID: PMC11045222 DOI: 10.7554/elife.89601] [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] [Indexed: 04/26/2024] Open
Abstract
We are unresponsive during slow-wave sleep but continue monitoring external events for survival. Our brain wakens us when danger is imminent. If events are non-threatening, our brain might store them for later consideration to improve decision-making. To test this hypothesis, we examined whether novel vocabulary consisting of simultaneously played pseudowords and translation words are encoded/stored during sleep, and which neural-electrical events facilitate encoding/storage. An algorithm for brain-state-dependent stimulation selectively targeted word pairs to slow-wave peaks or troughs. Retrieval tests were given 12 and 36 hr later. These tests required decisions regarding the semantic category of previously sleep-played pseudowords. The sleep-played vocabulary influenced awake decision-making 36 hr later, if targeted to troughs. The words' linguistic processing raised neural complexity. The words' semantic-associative encoding was supported by increased theta power during the ensuing peak. Fast-spindle power ramped up during a second peak likely aiding consolidation. Hence, new vocabulary played during slow-wave sleep was stored and influenced decision-making days later.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Simon Ruch
- Institute of Psychology, University of BernBernSwitzerland
- Faculty of Psychology, UniDistance SuisseBrigSwitzerland
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Salvesen L, Capriglia E, Dresler M, Bernardi G. Influencing dreams through sensory stimulation: A systematic review. Sleep Med Rev 2024; 74:101908. [PMID: 38417380 PMCID: PMC11009489 DOI: 10.1016/j.smrv.2024.101908] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2023] [Revised: 01/29/2024] [Accepted: 02/12/2024] [Indexed: 03/01/2024]
Abstract
Sleep is typically considered a state of disconnection from the environment, yet instances of external sensory stimuli influencing dreams have been reported for centuries. Explaining this phenomenon could provide valuable insight into dreams' generative and functional mechanisms, the factors that promote sleep continuity, and the processes that underlie conscious awareness. Moreover, harnessing sensory stimuli for dream engineering could benefit individuals suffering from dream-related alterations. This PRISMA-compliant systematic review assessed the current evidence concerning the influence of sensory stimulation on sleep mentation. We included 51 publications, of which 21 focused on auditory stimulation, ten on somatosensory stimulation, eight on olfactory stimulation, four on visual stimulation, two on vestibular stimulation, and one on multimodal stimulation. Furthermore, nine references explored conditioned associative stimulation: six focused on targeted memory reactivation protocols and three on targeted lucid reactivation protocols. The reported frequency of stimulus-dependent dream changes across studies ranged from 0 to ∼80%, likely reflecting a considerable heterogeneity of definitions and methodological approaches. Our findings highlight a lack of comprehensive understanding of the mechanisms, functions, and neurophysiological correlates of stimulus-dependent dream changes. We suggest that a paradigm shift is required for meaningful progress in this field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leila Salvesen
- Sleep, Plasticity, and Conscious Experience Group, MoMiLab Research Unit, IMT School for Advanced Studies Lucca, Lucca, Italy; Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Centre, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Elena Capriglia
- Sleep, Plasticity, and Conscious Experience Group, MoMiLab Research Unit, IMT School for Advanced Studies Lucca, Lucca, Italy; Department of Brain and Behavioural Sciences, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy
| | - Martin Dresler
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Centre, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Giulio Bernardi
- Sleep, Plasticity, and Conscious Experience Group, MoMiLab Research Unit, IMT School for Advanced Studies Lucca, Lucca, Italy.
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Lacaux C, Strauss M, Bekinschtein TA, Oudiette D. Embracing sleep-onset complexity. Trends Neurosci 2024; 47:273-288. [PMID: 38519370 DOI: 10.1016/j.tins.2024.02.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2023] [Revised: 01/17/2024] [Accepted: 02/07/2024] [Indexed: 03/24/2024]
Abstract
Sleep is crucial for many vital functions and has been extensively studied. By contrast, the sleep-onset period (SOP), often portrayed as a mere prelude to sleep, has been largely overlooked and remains poorly characterized. Recent findings, however, have reignited interest in this transitional period and have shed light on its neural mechanisms, cognitive dynamics, and clinical implications. This review synthesizes the existing knowledge about the SOP in humans. We first examine the current definition of the SOP and its limits, and consider the dynamic and complex electrophysiological changes that accompany the descent to sleep. We then describe the interplay between internal and external processing during the wake-to-sleep transition. Finally, we discuss the putative cognitive benefits of the SOP and identify novel directions to better diagnose sleep-onset disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Célia Lacaux
- Department of Basic Neurosciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland; Institut du Cerveau (Paris Brain Institute), Institut du Cerveau et de la Moelle Épinière (ICM), Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Sorbonne Université, Paris 75013, France.
| | - Mélanie Strauss
- Neuropsychology and Functional Neuroimaging Research Group (UR2NF), Center for Research in Cognition and Neurosciences (CRCN), Université Libre de Bruxelles, B-1050 Brussels, Belgium; Departments of Neurology, Psychiatry, and Sleep Medicine, Hôpital Universitaire de Bruxelles, Site Erasme, Université Libre de Bruxelles, B-1070 Brussels, Belgium
| | - Tristan A Bekinschtein
- Cambridge Consciousness and Cognition Laboratory, Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3EB, UK
| | - Delphine Oudiette
- Institut du Cerveau (Paris Brain Institute), Institut du Cerveau et de la Moelle Épinière (ICM), Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Sorbonne Université, Paris 75013, France; Assistance Publique - Hopitaux de Paris (AP-HP), Hôpital Pitié-Salpêtrière, Service des Pathologies du Sommeil, National Reference Centre for Narcolepsy, Paris 75013, France.
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Basner M, Smith MG. The effects on sleep play a critical role in the long-term health consequences of noise exposure. Sleep 2024; 47:zsad314. [PMID: 38079452 PMCID: PMC10851844 DOI: 10.1093/sleep/zsad314] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/09/2024] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Mathias Basner
- Unit for Experimental Psychiatry, Division of Sleep and Chronobiology, Department of Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Michael G Smith
- School of Public Health and Community Medicine, Institute of Medicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
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Le Bihan D. From Black Holes Entropy to Consciousness: The Dimensions of the Brain Connectome. ENTROPY (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2023; 25:1645. [PMID: 38136525 PMCID: PMC10743094 DOI: 10.3390/e25121645] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2023] [Revised: 11/28/2023] [Accepted: 12/06/2023] [Indexed: 12/24/2023]
Abstract
It has been shown that the theory of relativity can be applied physically to the functioning brain, so that the brain connectome should be considered as a four-dimensional spacetime entity curved by brain activity, just as gravity curves the four-dimensional spacetime of the physical world. Following the most recent developments in modern theoretical physics (black hole entropy, holographic principle, AdS/CFT duality), we conjecture that consciousness can naturally emerge from this four-dimensional brain connectome when a fifth dimension is considered, in the same way that gravity emerges from a 'flat' four-dimensional quantum world, without gravitation, present at the boundaries of a five-dimensional spacetime. This vision makes it possible to envisage quantitative signatures of consciousness based on the entropy of the connectome and the curvature of spacetime estimated from data obtained by fMRI in the resting state (nodal activity and functional connectivity) and constrained by the anatomical connectivity derived from diffusion tensor imaging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Denis Le Bihan
- NeuroSpin, Frédéric Joliot Institute for Life Sciences (Commissariat à l’Energie Atomique, CEA), Centre d’Études de Saclay, Paris-Saclay University, Bâtiment 145, 91191 Gif-sur-Yvette, France;
- Human Brain Research Center, Kyoto University, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan
- Department of System Neuroscience, National Institutes for Physiological Sciences, Okazaki 444-8585, Japan
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Andrillon T, Oudiette D. What is sleep exactly? Global and local modulations of sleep oscillations all around the clock. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2023; 155:105465. [PMID: 37972882 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2023.105465] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2023] [Revised: 09/29/2023] [Accepted: 11/10/2023] [Indexed: 11/19/2023]
Abstract
Wakefulness, non-rapid eye-movement (NREM) and rapid eye-movement (REM) sleep differ from each other along three dimensions: behavioral, phenomenological, physiological. Although these dimensions often fluctuate in step, they can also dissociate. The current paradigm that views sleep as made of global NREM and REM states fail to account for these dissociations. This conundrum can be dissolved by stressing the existence and significance of the local regulation of sleep. We will review the evidence in animals and humans, healthy and pathological brains, showing different forms of local sleep and the consequences on behavior, cognition, and subjective experience. Altogether, we argue that the notion of local sleep provides a unified account for a host of phenomena: dreaming in REM and NREM sleep, NREM and REM parasomnias, intrasleep responsiveness, inattention and mind wandering in wakefulness. Yet, the physiological origins of local sleep or its putative functions remain unclear. Exploring further local sleep could provide a unique and novel perspective on how and why we sleep.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Andrillon
- Paris Brain Institute, Sorbonne Université, Inserm-CNRS, Paris 75013, France; Monash Centre for Consciousness & Contemplative Studies, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC 3800, Australia.
| | - Delphine Oudiette
- Paris Brain Institute, Sorbonne Université, Inserm-CNRS, Paris 75013, France
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