Primed Tactile Stimulus Processing during Sleep

The aim was to investigate how the primed and unprimed non-painful tactile stimuli during sleep would be processed. A total of 22 healthy subjects (19.55 ± 1.10 years) were randomly divided into two groups. The same stimuli were applied to both groups, but the study group (SG) received them twice (daytime and sleep), whereas the control group (CG) received them only during sleep. A 40-channel PSG and a pneumatic tactile stimulator unit were used. Evoked potential components of the C_Z electrode were examined in four sleep stages (N1, N2, N3, and REM). The Mann-Whitney U test was used for group comparison, and the Wilcoxon test was used for in-group evaluations. The P50 and N300 response components were observed in all sleep stages in both groups. P50 decreased as sleep deepened in the SG. The N300 increased as sleep deepened and started to decrease again in the REM stage. Moreover, in N1, the amplitudes of P200-N300 and N300-P450 in the SG were significantly greater than those in the CG. The fact that P50 was observed even in N3 indicates that bottom-up sensory processing continues during sleep. Moreover, the central processing of primed and unprimed stimuli exhibited dynamic differences. Furthermore, an increase in N300 amplitude suggests suppressive processes to facilitate and maintain sleep.