The beneficial effect of nocturnal as well as daytime sleep on memory consolidation is well-documented in young, healthy subjects. Slow wave sleep (SWS), in particular, with its slow oscillating activity have shown to enhance declarative, hippocampus-dependent memory representations. This impact of sleep on memory performance can be additionally enhanced by exogeneous induction of transcranial slow oscillating stimulation (tSOS) within the frequency range of SWS in humans (0,7- 0,8 Hz) during sleep, as has been demonstrated in young, healthy subjects. If older adults that commonly experiencing cognitive decline, including long-term retention of declarative memory - benefit from transcranial slow oscillatory stimulation (tSOS) during sleep in the same way has not been studied so far. The primary goal of the study is therefore to investigate the impact of oscillating current stimulation (tSOS) during a daytime nap on declarative memory consolidation in older adults.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
TRIPLE
Enrollment
18
Charite CCM Neurologie Berlin
Berlin, Germany
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
1. Amount of Slow wave Sleep
1\. Amount of slow wave sleep assessed by standard polysomnographic criteria in 0,75 Hz vs SHAM stimulation during SWS.
Time frame: 4 weeks
2. sleep spindels
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.
Time frame: 4 weeks
3. EEG-correlates
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).
Time frame: 4 weeks
4. further memory systems
4\. Performance in further memory systems (procedural), compared between 0,75 Hz and SHAM stimulation during SWS.
Time frame: 4 weeks
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