Travelling spindles create necessary conditions for spike-timing-dependent plasticity in humans

Nat Commun. 2021 Feb 15;12(1):1027. doi: 10.1038/s41467-021-21298-x.

Abstract

Sleep spindles facilitate memory consolidation in the cortex during mammalian non-rapid eye movement sleep. In rodents, phase-locked firing during spindles may facilitate spike-timing-dependent plasticity by grouping pre-then-post-synaptic cell firing within ~25 ms. Currently, microphysiological evidence in humans for conditions conducive for spike-timing-dependent plasticity during spindles is absent. Here, we analyze field potentials and unit firing from middle/upper layers during spindles from 10 × 10 microelectrode arrays at 400 μm pitch in humans. We report strong tonic and phase-locked increases in firing and co-firing within 25 ms during spindles, especially those co-occurring with down-to-upstate transitions. Co-firing, spindle co-occurrence, and spindle coherence are greatest within ~2 mm, and high co-firing of units on different contacts depends on high spindle coherence between those contacts. Spindles propagate at ~0.28 m/s in distinct patterns, with correlated cell co-firing sequences. Spindles hence organize spatiotemporal patterns of neuronal co-firing in ways that may provide pre-conditions for plasticity during non-rapid eye movement sleep.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Action Potentials / physiology*
  • Adult
  • Cerebral Cortex / anatomy & histology
  • Cerebral Cortex / physiology*
  • Electrodes, Implanted
  • Electroencephalography
  • Epilepsy / pathology
  • Epilepsy / physiopathology
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Memory Consolidation / physiology*
  • Middle Aged
  • Neuronal Plasticity / physiology*
  • Neurons / cytology
  • Neurons / physiology*
  • Sleep, REM / physiology*
  • Stereotaxic Techniques