The Role of Sleep in Memory Consolidation and Brain Plasticity: Dream or Reality?
Abstract
The notion that a good night of sleep improves memory is widely accepted by the general public. Among sleep scientists, however, the idea has been hotly debated for decades. In this review, the authors consider current evidence for and against the hypothesis that sleep facilitates memory consolidation and promotes plastic changes in the brain. They find that despite a steady accumulation of positive findings over the past decade, the precise role of sleep in memory and brain plasticity remains elusive. This impasse may be resolved by more integrated approaches that combine behavioral and neurophysiological measurements in well-described in vivo models of synaptic plasticity.
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Muscimol and zolpidem impair sleep-dependent plastic changes in visual cortex in cats, suggesting GABA plays critical role for plastic processes during sleep.
“Conversely, the GABA A agonist muscimol and also zolpidem impaired sleep-dependent plastic changes in the visual cortex in a developmental model of synaptic plasticity in cats [i.e., ocular dominance plasticity (ODP); see sect.VIIA3 for details] (48,411,1059), suggesting that GABA plays a critical role for plastic processes occurring during sleep.”
From About Sleep's Role in Memory (2013) · cites this paper as [411]
In animals, sleep-dependent plastic changes critically depend on glutamatergic and LTP-related mechanisms.
“In animals, sleep-dependent plastic changes were also revealed to critically depend on glutamatergic and LTP-related mechanisms (411, 1066).”
From About Sleep's Role in Memory (2013) · cites this paper as [411]
Inactivating the sleeping visual cortex with lidocaine or muscimol inhibited ODP, indicating that postsynaptic activity during sleep is required for consolidating plastic changes induced by monocular experience.
“Inactivating the sleeping visual cortex by administration of the Na ϩ channel blocker lidocaine or the GABA A agonist muscimol inhibited ODP, indicating that postsynaptic activity during sleep is required for consolidating the plastic changes induced by a monocular experience (411, 605).”
From About Sleep's Role in Memory (2013) · cites this paper as [411]
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References 70 · Cited by 143
- Authors
- Frank, M. G., & Benington, J. H.
- Affiliations
- University of Pennsylvania (US)
- St. Bonaventure University (US)
- Corresponding author
- Frank, Marcos G.
- ORCID
- Frank, Marcos G.
- Venue
- The Neuroscientist
- Publisher
- SAGE Publications
- Published
- 2006-12
- Volume
- 12
- Issue
- 6
- Pages
- 477-488
- ISSN
- 1073-8584 (ISSN-L)
- 1089-4098
- OpenAlex
- W2097399653
- Cited by
- 143
- References
- 70
- Citations by year
- 2026: 4 · 2025: 1 · 2023: 8 · 2022: 2 · 2021: 6 · 2020: 4 · 2019: 24 · 2018: 9 · 2017: 8 · 2016: 3 · 2015: 1 · 2014: 15 · 2013: 10 · 2012: 6
- FWCI
- 0.62
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- The Neuroscientist (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- National Institute of Mental Health (R01MH067568)
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Sleep and Wakefulness Research
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Memory and Neural Mechanisms
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Developmental Neuroscience › Neurogenesis and neuroplasticity mechanisms
- Keywords
- sleep, memory consolidation, neuroplasticity, synaptic plasticity, sleep-dependent memory, sleep neurophysiology
- MeSH terms
- Brain, Dreams, Humans, Memory, Neuronal Plasticity, Sleep
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