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

Stages of Sleep01:22

Stages of Sleep

173
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...
173
Auditory Pathway01:15

Auditory Pathway

4.8K
Auditory pathways constitute the complex neural circuits responsible for transmitting and interpreting auditory information from the peripheral auditory system to the brain. Sound waves are initially captured by the outer ear, funneled through the ear canal, and reach the tympanic membrane (eardrum). These vibrations are transmitted via the middle ear's ossicles to the inner ear's cochlea.
When viewed cross-sectionally, the cochlea reveals the scala vestibuli and scala tympani flanking...
4.8K
Sleep-Wake Cycles01:24

Sleep-Wake Cycles

1.2K
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:
1.2K
Hearing01:31

Hearing

51.8K
When we hear a sound, our nervous system is detecting sound waves—pressure waves of mechanical energy traveling through a medium. The frequency of the wave is perceived as pitch, while the amplitude is perceived as loudness.
51.8K
REM Sleep Behavior Disorder01:15

REM Sleep Behavior Disorder

148
REM Sleep Behavior Disorder (RBD) is a sleep disorder characterized by the absence of muscle paralysis that normally occurs during the REM phase of sleep. This absence allows individuals to physically act out their dreams, which are often vivid and disturbing. Common behaviors exhibited during episodes include kicking, punching, and yelling. These actions can be dangerous, potentially leading to injuries for the person with RBD or their bed partner.
RBD is significantly associated with...
148
Understanding Sleep01:11

Understanding Sleep

219
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...
219

You might also read

Related Articles

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

Sort by
Same author

Modulating sleep: slow oscillation and spindle stimulation effects on physiology and memory.

NPJ science of learning·2026
Same author

Exploring Deep Magnetoencephalography via Thalamo-Cortical Sleep Spindles.

Human brain mapping·2025
Same author

Neurophysiological effects of targeting sleep spindles with closed-loop auditory stimulation.

Sleep advances : a journal of the Sleep Research Society·2025
Same author

Personalizing brain stimulation: continual learning for sleep spindle detection.

Journal of neural engineering·2025
Same author

Challenges and Approaches in the Study of Neural Entrainment.

The Journal of neuroscience : the official journal of the Society for Neuroscience·2024
Same author

Approaches to studying emotion using physiological responses to spoken narratives: A scoping review.

Psychophysiology·2024
Same journal

A transformer-based language model reveals developmental constraint and network complexity during zebrafish embryogenesis.

PNAS nexus·2026
Same journal

Dual phosphoregulatory mechanisms of condensin I revealed by biochemical reconstitution.

PNAS nexus·2026
Same journal

Vanin-1 deficiency enhances host tolerance to influenza infection by modulating cellular redox status.

PNAS nexus·2026
Same journal

Free will in the eyes of Muslims and Christians.

PNAS nexus·2026
Same journal

Paradoxical coexistence of superconductivity and magnetism, and explaining unexpected preferred domain orientations.

PNAS nexus·2026
Same journal

Large language models instantiate evolutionarily robust strategies of cooperation.

PNAS nexus·2026
See all related articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 6, 2025

Quantifying Infra-slow Dynamics of Spectral Power and Heart Rate in Sleeping Mice
10:56

Quantifying Infra-slow Dynamics of Spectral Power and Heart Rate in Sleeping Mice

Published on: August 2, 2017

10.0K

Auditory processing up to cortex is maintained during sleep spindles.

Hugo R Jourde1,2,3,4, Emily B J Coffey1,2,3,4,5

  • 1Department of Psychology, Concordia University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.

PNAS Nexus
|November 26, 2024
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Sleep spindles, crucial for memory, do not block auditory processing during sleep. Research shows sensory information reaches the cortex even during these brain oscillations, challenging prior theories.

Keywords:
auditory processingrefractory periodsleepsleep spindlesthalamic gating

More Related Videos

Infant Auditory Processing and Event-related Brain Oscillations
06:34

Infant Auditory Processing and Event-related Brain Oscillations

Published on: July 1, 2015

16.4K
Quantitative Assessment of Cortical Auditory-tactile Processing in Children with Disabilities
09:38

Quantitative Assessment of Cortical Auditory-tactile Processing in Children with Disabilities

Published on: January 29, 2014

10.8K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jun 6, 2025

Quantifying Infra-slow Dynamics of Spectral Power and Heart Rate in Sleeping Mice
10:56

Quantifying Infra-slow Dynamics of Spectral Power and Heart Rate in Sleeping Mice

Published on: August 2, 2017

10.0K
Infant Auditory Processing and Event-related Brain Oscillations
06:34

Infant Auditory Processing and Event-related Brain Oscillations

Published on: July 1, 2015

16.4K
Quantitative Assessment of Cortical Auditory-tactile Processing in Children with Disabilities
09:38

Quantitative Assessment of Cortical Auditory-tactile Processing in Children with Disabilities

Published on: January 29, 2014

10.8K

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Sleep Science
  • Cognitive Neuroscience

Background:

  • Sleep spindles are key brain oscillations for memory consolidation.
  • Their role in sleep continuity and protecting memories from interference is debated.
  • One theory suggests spindles gate sensory input at the thalamus.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate whether sleep spindles block sensory processing.
  • To examine the neural refractory period following sleep spindles.
  • To test the gating mechanism theory of sleep spindles.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized electroencephalography (EEG) and magnetoencephalography (MEG) in human participants.
  • Conducted three experiments examining evoked responses during and after sleep spindles.
  • Analyzed auditory processing in relation to sleep spindle activity.

Main Results:

  • Auditory processing up to the cortex is maintained during sleep spindles.
  • Neural responses to sound are not suppressed by sleep spindles.
  • Evidence suggests sensory gating does not occur at the thalamus during spindles.

Conclusions:

  • Sleep spindles do not act as a sensory gate at the thalamus.
  • Auditory processing remains active during sleep spindles.
  • Findings challenge the theory that spindles protect memory by blocking sensory input.