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Visual–Procedural Memory Consolidation during Sleep Blocked by Glutamatergic Receptor Antagonists

Year: 2008

Type: article

Abstract: Visual cortex plasticity is enhanced by sleep. It is hypothesized that a reactivation of glutamatergic synapses is essential for this form of plasticity to occur after learning. To test this hypothesis, human subjects practiced a visual texture discrimination skill known to require post-training sleep for improvements to occur. During sleep, glutamatergic transmission was inhibited by administration of the two glutamate antagonists, caroverine and ketamine, targeting the ionotropic NMDA and AMPA receptors. Both substances given during consolidation sleep in a placebo controlled crossover design were able to prevent improvement of the skill measured the next morning. An off-line activation of glutamatergic synapses therefore seems to play a critical part in the consolidation of plastic changes in the visual cortex.

Source: Journal of Neuroscience

DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.5374-07.2008

Authors: Steffen Gais, Björn Rasch, Ullrich Wagner, Jan Born

Institution: University of Lübeck

Language: English

Topic: Sleep and Wakefulness Research

Subfield: Cognitive Neuroscience

Field: Neuroscience

Domain: Life Sciences

SDG: Good health and well-being

Open Access status: hybrid

Funder: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft