It is assumed that slow oscillatory up-states represent crucial time windows for memory reactivation and consolidation during sleep. We tested this assumption by utilizing closed-loop targeted memory reactivation: Participants were re-exposed to prior learned foreign vocabulary during up- and down-states of slow oscillations. While presenting memory cues during slow oscillatory up-states improved recall performance, down-state cueing did not result in a clear behavioral benefit. Still, no robust behavioral benefit of up- as compared to down-state cueing was observable. At the electrophysiological level however, successful memory reactivation during up-states was associated with a characteristic power increase in the theta and sleep spindle band. No oscillatory changes were observable for down-state cues. Our findings provide experimental support for the assumption that slow oscillatory up-states may represent privileged time windows for memory reactivation, while the interplay of slow oscillations, theta and sleep spindle activity promotes successful memory consolidation during sleep.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.