Effects of Targeted Memory Reactivation on Cortical Networks

Sleep is a complex physiological process with an important role in memory consolidation characterised by a series of spatiotemporal changes in brain activity and connectivity. Here, we investigate how task-related responses differ between pre-sleep wake, sleep, and post-sleep wake. To this end, we trained participants on a serial reaction time task using both right and left hands using Targeted Memory Reactivation (TMR), in which auditory cues are associated with learned material and then re-presented in subsequent wake or sleep periods in order to elicit memory reactivation. The neural responses just after each cue showed increased theta band connectivity between frontal and other cortical regions, as well as between hemispheres, in slow wave sleep compared to pre- or post-sleep wake. This pattern was consistent across the cues associated with both right- and left-handed movements. We also searched for hand-specific connectivity and found that this could be identified in within-hemisphere connectivity after TMR cues during sleep and post-sleep sessions. The fact that we could identify which hand had been cued during sleep suggests that these connectivity measures could potentially be used to determine how successfully memory is reactivated by our manipulation. Collectively, these findings indicate that TMR modulates the brain cortical networks showing clear differences between wake and sleep connectivity patterns.