Cited by 865Sleep and Wakefulness ResearchNeural dynamics and brain functionSleep and Work-Related Fatigue

Local sleep in awake rats

Open access
Vyazovskiy, Vladyslav V., Olcese, Umberto, Hanlon, Erin C., Nir, Yuval, Cirelli, Chiara, Tononi, Giulio·2011·Nature

Abstract

In an awake state, neurons in the cerebral cortex fire irregularly and electroencephalogram (EEG) recordings display low-amplitude, high-frequency fluctuations. During sleep, neurons oscillate between 'on' periods, when they fire as in an awake brain, and 'off' periods, when they stop firing altogether and the EEG displays high-amplitude slow waves. However, what happens to neuronal firing after a long period of being awake is not known. Here we show that in freely behaving rats after a long period in an awake state, cortical neurons can go briefly 'offline' as in sleep, accompanied by slow waves in the local EEG. Neurons often go offline in one cortical area but not in another, and during these periods of 'local sleep', the incidence of which increases with the duration of the awake state, rats are active and display an 'awake' EEG. However, they are progressively impaired in a sugar pellet reaching task. Thus, although both the EEG and behaviour indicate wakefulness, local populations of neurons in the cortex may be falling asleep, with negative consequences for performance.

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Crossref · 10.1038/nature10009

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  • As distinct qualitative differences between <1 Hz slow oscillations and 1-4 Hz delta oscillations have not been confirmed, the decrease in SWA across sleep appears to be most parsimoniously explained by a decrease in the incidence of high-amplitude slow waves.

    “However, as distinct qualitative differences between both frequency bands have not been confirmed, the decrease in SWA across sleep appears to be most parsimoniously explained by a decrease in the incidence of high-amplitude slow waves (1267).”

    From About Sleep's Role in Memory (2013) · cites this paper as [1267]

    Split into 2 atoms — 1 confirmed, 0 partially supported, 0 disputed, 0 misattributed, 1 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 [1267]

    In “Wake OFF periods occur asynchronously in distant cortical regions” (page unavailable), the paper reports that manipulations affecting plasticity during wake are followed by local increases in sleep SWA. This supports the local SWA point, but the passage does not establish that encoding information during wake caused those increases. (LLM, conf=0.82)

    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 [1267]

    The section “Wake OFF periods occur asynchronously in distant cortical regions” (page unavailable) says sleep can be regulated locally, citing local increases in SWA, and reports local slow waves in the rats’ recordings. Our copy does not attribute global regulation of SWA to brain stem or diencephalic structures, so it supports only the local-regulation part of the sentence. (LLM, conf=0.87)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured
  • The intensity of slow waves in the cortical field potential slowly increases over the active period, in direct relationship to more frequent and longer sleep bouts.

    “Likewise, the intensity of slow waves in the cortical field potential slowly increases over the active period, in direct relationship to more frequent and longer sleep bouts”

    From Waking state: rapid variations modulate neural and behavioral responses (2015) · cites this paper as Vyazovskiy et al., 2011

  • The degree of habituation to an experimental situation may change the prevalence of low-frequency rhythms in the cortex.

    “In addition to the phenomena described above, the degree of habituation to an experimental situation may also change the prevalence of low frequency rhythms in the cortex”

    From Waking state: rapid variations modulate neural and behavioral responses (2015) · cites this paper as Vyazovskiy et al., 2011

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Research works printed but not linked: 1

  1. [12]Sejnowski TJ Destexhe A Why do we sleep? Brain Res 886 1–2 208 223 2000 11119697

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Authors
Vyazovskiy, V. V., Olcese, U., Hanlon, E. C., Nir, Y., Cirelli, C., & Tononi, G.
Affiliations
University of Wisconsin–Madison (US)
Corresponding author
Tononi, Giulio
Venue
Nature
Published
2011-04
Volume
472
Issue
7344
Pages
443-447
ISSN
  • 0028-0836 (ISSN-L)
  • 1476-4687
OpenAlex
W2039029351
Cited by
865
References
42
Citations by year
2026: 55 · 2025: 72 · 2024: 58 · 2023: 54 · 2022: 64 · 2021: 65 · 2020: 73 · 2019: 73 · 2018: 53 · 2017: 62 · 2016: 50 · 2015: 36 · 2014: 45 · 2013: 46 · 2012: 39
FWCI
24.07
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Nature (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (acceptedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
  • Surrey Research Insight Open Access (The University of Surrey) (submittedVersion)
  • RePEc: Research Papers in Economics (submittedVersion)
  • Open Research (University of Surrey) (submittedVersion)
Funders
  • National Institutes of Health (5p20mh077967-04, DP1OD000579)
  • National Institute of Mental Health (P20MH-077967)
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 Work-Related Fatigue
Keywords
local sleep, cortical neuronal activity, slow waves, EEG, wakefulness, prolonged wakefulness, sleep-like state, cognitive impairment, rats, sleep-wake transition
MeSH terms
Action Potentials, Animals, Behavior, Animal, Cerebral Cortex, Electroencephalography, Male, Models, Neurological, Rats, Inbred WKY, Reward, Sleep, Sleep Deprivation, Wakefulness, Rats

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