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Cited by 924Sleep and Wakefulness ResearchNeural dynamics and brain functionSleep and related disorders

Regional Slow Waves and Spindles in Human Sleep

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Nir, Yuval, Staba, Richard J., Andrillon, Thomas, Vyazovskiy, Vladyslav V., Cirelli, Chiara, Fried, Itzhak, Tononi, Giulio·2011·Neuron
DOI 10.1016/j.neuron.2011.02.043PMC PMC3108825
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Abstract

The most prominent EEG events in sleep are slow waves, reflecting a slow (<1 Hz) oscillation between up and down states in cortical neurons. It is unknown whether slow oscillations are synchronous across the majority or the minority of brain regions--are they a global or local phenomenon? To examine this, we recorded simultaneously scalp EEG, intracerebral EEG, and unit firing in multiple brain regions of neurosurgical patients. We find that most sleep slow waves and the underlying active and inactive neuronal states occur locally. Thus, especially in late sleep, some regions can be active while others are silent. We also find that slow waves can propagate, usually from medial prefrontal cortex to the medial temporal lobe and hippocampus. Sleep spindles, the other hallmark of NREM sleep EEG, are likewise predominantly local. Thus, intracerebral communication during sleep is constrained because slow and spindle oscillations often occur out-of-phase in different brain regions.

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  • EEG slow frequencies between 1 and 4 Hz during sleep are associated with neuronal down-states and bistability, which prevent the emergence of stable causal interactions among cortical areas, and have been linked to the loss of consciousness.

    “EEG slow frequencies between 1 and 4 Hz during sleep are associated with neuronal down-states and bistability 11 , which prevent the emergence of stable causal interactions among cortical areas 12 , and have been linked to the loss of consciousness 13,14 .”

    From The neural correlates of dreaming (2017) · cites this paper as [11]

    Split into 2 atoms — 0 confirmed, 2 partially supported, 0 disputed, 0 misattributed, 0 unverifiable. Expand the claim to see per-atom verdicts.

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured

  • Encoding of information during waking enhances subsequent SWA in specific brain regions.

    “in demonstrating that the encoding of information during waking enhances subsequent SWA in specific brain regions, these studies provide compelling evidence that SWA is regulated locally in addition to its global regulation by brain stem and diencephalic structures (672, 859, 975, 1267).”

    From About Sleep's Role in Memory (2013) · cites this paper as [859]

    The Introduction (page unavailable) says prolonged waking increases SWA, most strongly over frontal cortex, and reports that sleep slow waves vary locally with prior use and plastic processes. It does not specifically say that encoding information during waking enhances subsequent SWA in the regions involved; the paper's own recordings establish that slow waves are often local, not that encoding caused a regional increase. (LLM, conf=0.84)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured

  • SWA is regulated locally in addition to its global regulation by brain stem and diencephalic structures.

    “these studies provide compelling evidence that SWA is regulated locally in addition to its global regulation by brain stem and diencephalic structures (672, 859, 975, 1267).”

    From About Sleep's Role in Memory (2013) · cites this paper as [859]

    The Introduction (page unavailable) states that SWA can be locally regulated, and the Results describe a continuum from local to global slow waves. The passages do not identify brain stem or diencephalic structures as regulators of global SWA, so that part of the sentence is not supported by this source. (LLM, conf=0.84)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured

  • In the neocortex, single spindles typically express as local phenomena and are restricted to specific regions and circuits, regardless of whether or not they are synchronized in phase with central thalamic spindle generation.

    “Importantly, this research revealed that in the neocortex, single spindles typically express as a local phe-nomena and are restricted to specific regions and circuits, regardless of whether or not they are synchronized in phase with central thalamic spindle generation.”

    From About Sleep's Role in Memory (2013) · cites this paper as [859]

    The Results (Extent of Local Sleep Spindles) and Discussion (Local Sleep Spindles) report that most spindles occur locally, often in only a minority of recorded brain regions. The paper says spindles are generated in the thalamus and that the neocortex governs their synchronization, but it does not establish that cortical spindles remain local regardless of their phase synchronization with thalamic spindle generation. (LLM, conf=0.88)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured

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Cited by

Sorted by citations

Authors
Nir, Y., Staba, R. J., Andrillon, T., Vyazovskiy, V. V., Cirelli, C., Fried, I., & Tononi, G.
Affiliations
  • University of Wisconsin–Madison (US)
  • University of California, Los Angeles (US)
Corresponding author
Tononi, Giulio
ORCID
Venue
Neuron
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Published
2011-04
Volume
70
Issue
1
Pages
153-169
ISSN
0896-6273 (ISSN-L)
DOI
10.1016/j.neuron.2011.02.043
PMC
PMC3108825
OpenAlex
W1973117088
Cited by
924
References
18
Citations by year
2026: 37 · 2025: 72 · 2024: 65 · 2023: 67 · 2022: 73 · 2021: 56 · 2020: 69 · 2019: 83 · 2018: 60 · 2017: 81 · 2016: 51 · 2015: 53 · 2014: 45 · 2013: 56 · 2012: 38
FWCI
25.51
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
Locations
  • Neuron (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (acceptedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
  • Open Research (University of Surrey) (submittedVersion)
  • Surrey Research Insight Open Access (The University of Surrey) (submittedVersion)
Funders
  • European Molecular Biology Organization
  • National Institutes of Health (5p20mh077967-04, DP1OD000579)
  • National Institute of Mental Health (P20MH-077967)
  • National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (R01NS055185, R01NS033221, R01NS071048)
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Sleep and Wakefulness Research
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Neural dynamics and brain function
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Sleep and related disorders
Keywords
sleep slow waves, sleep spindles, slow oscillations, intracranial EEG, NREM sleep, up-down states, slow wave propagation, medial prefrontal cortex, medial temporal lobe, hippocampus, interregional communication, neurosurgical patients
MeSH terms
Brain, Electroencephalography, Epilepsy, Humans, Sleep, Polysomnography

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