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Activation of the phasic pontine‐wave generator enhances improvement of learning performance: a mechanism for sleep‐dependent plasticity
Author(s) -
Mavanji Vijayakumar,
Datta Subimal
Publication year - 2003
Publication title -
european journal of neuroscience
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.346
H-Index - 206
eISSN - 1460-9568
pISSN - 0953-816X
DOI - 10.1046/j.1460-9568.2003.02460.x
Subject(s) - microinjection , microinjections , carbachol , saline , rapid eye movement sleep , psychology , anesthesia , neuroscience , memory consolidation , motor learning , audiology , medicine , endocrinology , hippocampus , eye movement , stimulation
The aim of this study was to test the hypothesis that supplementary activation of the phasic pontine wave (P‐wave) generator during rapid eye movement (REM) sleep enhances consolidation and integration of memories, resulting in improved learning. To test this hypothesis, two groups of rats were trained on a two‐way active avoidance learning task in the morning. Immediately after training, one group of rats received a carbachol microinjection into the P‐wave generator and the other group was microinjected with control saline into the same target area. After training trials and microinjections, rats were allowed a 6‐h period of undisturbed sleep in the polygraphic recording chamber. At the end of 6 h of undisturbed sleep–wake recordings, rats were retested in a session of avoidance learning trials. After learning trials, the total percentage of time spent in REM sleep was significantly increased in both saline (15.36%)‐ and carbachol (17.70%)‐microinjected rats. After learning trials, REM sleep P‐wave density was significantly greater throughout the 6‐h period of recordings in carbachol treated rats than in the saline treated rats. In the retrial session, the improvement in learning task performance was 22.75% higher in the carbachol‐microinjected rats than in the saline‐microinjected rats. These findings show that the consolidation and integration of memories create a homeostatic demand for P‐waves. In addition, these findings provide experimental evidence, for the first time, that activation of the P‐wave generator may enhance consolidation and integration of memories, resulting in improved performance on a recently learned task.