Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Sleep-Wake Cycles01:24

Sleep-Wake Cycles

1.5K
Sleep is an essential physiological process vital to maintaining overall well-being. The reticular activating system (RAS), a network of neurons in the brainstem, regulates wakefulness and sleep. While it may seem passive, sleep consists of distinct cycles, each with its unique characteristics and functions. Two key sleep phases are non-rapid eye movement (NREM) and  rapid eye movement (REM).
NREM Sleep
NREM sleep comprises four progressive stages that seamlessly merge:
1.5K
Understanding Sleep01:11

Understanding Sleep

461
Sleep, an essential biological state, involves significant reductions in physical activity, sensory awareness, and interaction with the environment. This complex physiological process is primarily regulated by specific brain regions, notably the hypothalamus and pons, which govern the sleep-wake cycle or circadian rhythm.
The circadian rhythm, a nearly 24-hour cycle, is deeply influenced by environmental light cues. Light exposure directly affects the hypothalamus, which in turn regulates...
461
Long-term Depression01:03

Long-term Depression

2.6K
Long-term depression, or LTD, is one of the ways by which synaptic plasticity—changes in the strength of chemical synapses—can occur in the brain. LTD is the process of synaptic weakening that occurs over time between pre and postsynaptic neuronal connections. The synaptic weakening of LTD works in opposition to synaptic strengthening by long-term potentiation (LTP) and together are the main mechanisms that underlie learning and memory.
Calcium Ion Concentration Mechanism
If over...
2.6K
Stages of Sleep01:22

Stages of Sleep

424
Sleep progresses through distinct stages, each characterized by specific brain wave patterns and physiological responses ranging from wakefulness to stages of non-rapid eye movement, known as non-REM, to rapid eye movement, referred to as REM. Understanding these stages helps in recognizing how sleep supports various bodily and cognitive functions.
Before sleep begins, in wakefulness, the brain exhibits primarily beta waves, which are high in frequency and low in amplitude, indicating alertness...
424

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Microbial community changes mediate the decline in soil organic carbon mineralization with depth in tea plantations.

Carbon balance and management·2026
Same author

Assessing social rank in male mice using the multi-round warm spot test.

Physiology & behavior·2026
Same author

microRNA-25 drives immune checkpoint therapy resistance by repressing innate and humoral immunity via Syndecan-3.

Nature communications·2026
Same author

Bridging the translational gap in systems neuroscience: from circuit mechanisms to clinical therapeutics.

Frontiers in pharmacology·2026
Same author

Fear extinction induces maladaptive generalization via noradrenergic and GABAergic systems.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·2026
Same author

Bitter gourd peptides (BG) alleviate lupus progression in mice through regulation of miR-146a/BRD4 axis in macrophages.

Frontiers in immunology·2026

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Aug 23, 2025

Optogenetic Entrainment of Hippocampal Theta Oscillations in Behaving Mice
07:33

Optogenetic Entrainment of Hippocampal Theta Oscillations in Behaving Mice

Published on: June 29, 2018

11.9K

Sleep and wake cycles dynamically modulate hippocampal inhibitory synaptic plasticity.

Kunwei Wu1, Wenyan Han1, Wei Lu1

  • 1Synapse and Neural Circuit Research Section, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, United States of America.

Plos Biology
|November 1, 2022
PubMed
Summary

This study reveals daily changes in inhibitory synapses within hippocampal neurons. These alterations in GABAergic synapses are crucial for memory consolidation during both sleep and wakefulness.

More Related Videos

Optogenetic Manipulation of Neural Circuits During Monitoring Sleep/wakefulness States in Mice
08:58

Optogenetic Manipulation of Neural Circuits During Monitoring Sleep/wakefulness States in Mice

Published on: June 19, 2019

9.8K
Polygraphic Recording Procedure for Measuring Sleep in Mice
08:45

Polygraphic Recording Procedure for Measuring Sleep in Mice

Published on: January 25, 2016

24.0K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Aug 23, 2025

Optogenetic Entrainment of Hippocampal Theta Oscillations in Behaving Mice
07:33

Optogenetic Entrainment of Hippocampal Theta Oscillations in Behaving Mice

Published on: June 29, 2018

11.9K
Optogenetic Manipulation of Neural Circuits During Monitoring Sleep/wakefulness States in Mice
08:58

Optogenetic Manipulation of Neural Circuits During Monitoring Sleep/wakefulness States in Mice

Published on: June 19, 2019

9.8K
Polygraphic Recording Procedure for Measuring Sleep in Mice
08:45

Polygraphic Recording Procedure for Measuring Sleep in Mice

Published on: January 25, 2016

24.0K

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Synaptic Plasticity
  • Sleep Research

Background:

  • Sleep is vital for memory consolidation via synaptic modulation.
  • Mechanisms underlying sleep-dependent synaptic changes remain unclear.
  • GABAergic synapses in the hippocampus play a key role in neural inhibition.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate daily rhythmic alterations in GABAergic synapses in hippocampal CA1 pyramidal neurons.
  • To understand the role of inhibitory plasticity in memory mechanisms during sleep and wake.
  • To identify specific interneuron populations and receptors involved in these dynamic changes.

Main Methods:

  • Electrophysiology to study synaptic inhibition.
  • Chemically induced inhibitory long-term potentiation (iLTP) model.
  • Optogenetics to manipulate specific interneuron activity.
  • Immunohistochemistry to assess receptor localization.

Main Results:

  • GABAergic synapses exhibit daily rhythmic changes, with wake inhibiting phasic and promoting tonic inhibition.
  • Hippocampal CA1 pyramidal neurons show enhanced iLTP magnitude during wakefulness compared to sleep.
  • Inhibitory inputs from parvalbumin-expressing interneurons, not somatostatin-interneurons, dynamically contribute to iLTP.
  • Synaptic insertion of alpha5-GABAA receptors mediates the wake-specific enhancement of iLTP at parvalbumin-synapses.

Conclusions:

  • A daily oscillation of inhibitory long-term potentiation exists in hippocampal neurons.
  • Inhibitory synapses, particularly those involving parvalbumin interneurons and alpha5-GABAA receptors, dynamically contribute to memory processes across sleep and wake states.
  • These findings elucidate novel mechanisms of synaptic modulation underlying memory consolidation.