NEW DELHI: Breathing may be a “driver” that helps coordinate brain processes involved in consolidating memory during sleep – just as a conductor coordinates various instruments in an orchestra to produce a symphony. , a new study found. During sleep, the brain integrates or “consolidates” new information learned throughout the day with prior knowledge, storing it for long-term use.
According to the study, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, breathing rhythms during sleep are linked to “slow spindles” of brain waves in the hippocampus—the part of the brain responsible for memory and learning. It has These brain waves occur during the non-rapid eye movement (NREM) stage of sleep.
Although slow spindles have previously been shown to play a role in memory, the underlying driver of the process was unknown, said researchers at Northwestern University in the US.
The researchers added that the findings have important implications for conditions such as sleep apnea, which disrupts breathing during sleep and is linked to poor memory consolidation.
“To consolidate memories, three specialized neural oscillations emerge and synchronize in the hippocampus during sleep, but were thought to be unrecognized,” said study senior author Christina Zilano, professor of neurology at Northwestern University. Arrangements are made at times.”
“We discovered that these oscillations are linked to breathing rhythms,” he said. The team analyzed activity in the hippocampus of six epilepsy patients during nights that were completely seizure-free.
They found that slow spindle activity in the hippocampus occurs at specific points in the breathing cycle, suggesting that breathing is an important rhythm. Consolidation of memory during sleep.
“Memory consolidation relies on the orchestration of brain waves during sleep, and we show that this process is closely related to breathing,” said author Andrew Sheriff, a postdoctoral researcher in Zilano’s lab.
Sheriff said the study suggests that people with sleep-disordered breathing should seek treatment for the condition. PTI KRS
Breathing patterns are important for memory consolidation during sleep, study ARD ARD finds.