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REM disruption and REM Vagal Activity Predict Extinction Recall in Trauma-Exposed Individuals
Cagri Yuksel1,2, Lauren Watford1, Monami Muranaka1
1McLean Hospital, Belmont, MA.
Biorxiv : the Preprint Server for Biology
|October 9, 2023
Summary
Rapid eye movement (REM) sleep disruption impairs extinction memory consolidation, potentially contributing to PTSD. Higher vagal activity during REM sleep is linked to better memory recall in trauma-exposed individuals.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Sleep Science
- Psychiatry
Background:
- Rapid eye movement (REM) sleep is crucial for consolidating extinction memory, a process impaired in Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).
- Abnormalities in REM sleep following trauma increase PTSD risk by hindering extinction memory processing.
- Reduced vagal activity, observed in PTSD patients, may further impair fear extinction memory consolidation during sleep.
Approach:
- Investigated the association between extinction memory and REM sleep characteristics in 113 trauma-exposed individuals.
- Assessed REM sleep vagal activity using heart rate variability as a proxy.
- Examined both physiological and explicit measures of extinction memory.
Key Points:
- REM sleep disruption correlated with poorer physiological and explicit extinction memory.
- Increased vagal activity during REM sleep was associated with enhanced explicit extinction memory.
- Higher REM sleep vagal activity in males predicted better physiological extinction memory.
Conclusions:
- Abnormal REM sleep may contribute to PTSD development by compromising extinction memory consolidation.
- Targeting REM sleep characteristics and vagal activity during sleep presents a potential therapeutic avenue for fear-related disorders.
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