Effects of Brain Stimulation During Nocturnal Sleep on Memory Consolidation in Elderly Healthy Subjects

Charite University, Berlin, Germany32 enrolled

Overview

The beneficial effect of nocturnal sleep on memory consolidation is well-documented in young, healthy subjects. Especially, periods rich in slow-wave sleep (SWS) have shown a memory enhancing effect on hippocampus-dependent declarative memory. Slow oscillatory activity typically occuring during SWS has been implicated in the consolidation effect. Recent evidence in young healthy subjects suggest that the sleep-associated consolidation effect can be amplified by the application of a weak transcranial oscillatory electric current within the frequency range of SWS in humans (0,7-0,8 Hz) during SWS. If elderly, healthy subjects benefit from transcranial slow oscillatory stimulation (tSOS) during nocturnal sleep as well has not been studied so far. The primary aim of the present study is to investigate the influence of a weak slow oscillating brain stimulation (tSOS) on declarative memory consolidation applied during periods of nocturnal SWS in elderly healthy subjects.

Study Type

INTERVENTIONAL

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

TREATMENT

Masking

TRIPLE

Enrollment

Conditions

Elderly Subjects

Interventions

Eligibility

Sex: ALLMin age: 50 YearsMax age: 90 YearsHealthy volunteers:

Medical Language ↔ Plain English

Inclusion Criteria: * elederly, healthy Subjects * unobtrusive, neuropsychological screening * age: 50-90 years * right handed Exclusion Criteria: * untreated severe internal or psychiatric diseases * epilepsy * other severe neurological diseases eg., previous major stroke, brain tumour, dementia * contraindications to MRI

Outcomes

Primary Outcomes

Retention of declarative memories after 0.75 Hz stimulation during SWS, vs after sham stimulation during SWS

Retention between stimulation conditions (0.75 Hz during SWS, vs sham stimulation during SWS) in the declarative memory task.

Time frame: 4 weeks

Secondary Outcomes

Amount of Slow wave Sleep, spindels, eeg-correlates, further memory systems

1. Amount of slow wave sleep assessed by standard polysomnographic criteria in 0,75 Hz vs SHAM stimulation during SWS. 2. Spindel activity during sleep indicated via several spindel parameters like number, duration, frequency of spindles; compared between 0,75 Hz and SHAM stimulation during SWS. 3. Neuronal correlates (EEG-power in slow oscillation frequency bands induced by 0,75 Hz vs SHAM stimulation during SWS; EEG-correlates of encoding and retrieval of a declarative memory task). 4. Performance in further memory systems (procedural), compared between 0,75 Hz and SHAM stimulation during SWS.