Podcasts about memory consolidation

Neuroprotection is just about pricey moonshot Alzheimer drugs; Green tea, melatonin, quercetin, aerobic exercise tackle brain inflammation; Glyphosate may contribute to Alzheimer's surge; Supplements to extend sleep; A popular social media influencer makes shady claims about blood pressure supplements; Diet can influence the prognosis of early ovarian cancer; Omega-3s slow biological aging; A natural antidote to hair graying. 

Think Thursday: The Power of Sleep and NeuroplasticityUnderstanding the Importance of Sleep for NeuroplasticityMolly Watts introduces the topic of sleep and its impact on neuroplasticity, emphasizing its importance for behavior change.She recaps previous episodes on neuroplasticity, highlighting how mindset and the iterative mindset affect brain changes.Molly explains that sleep is crucial for both habit breaking and building, especially when trying to reduce alcohol consumption.She discusses the role of sleep in neuroplasticity, including memory consolidation, synaptic pruning, and the activation of the glymphatic system.Memory Consolidation and Synaptic Pruning During SleepMolly elaborates on how deep sleep and REM sleep consolidate memories and transfer them from short-term to long-term storage.She explains that synaptic pruning during deep sleep helps maintain strong neural connections and optimize brain efficiency.The glymphatic system's activation during sleep clears out toxins, creating a healthier environment for neurons to communicate.The release of BDNF during sleep promotes neuron growth and repair, enhancing cognitive function and neuroplasticity.Emotional Regulation and Glial Cell Activity During SleepMolly discusses how REM sleep helps process emotions, stripping away emotional charges from memories while retaining factual content.She highlights the role of glial cells in supporting neurons, which are more active during sleep and assist with brain repair.The brain's regulation of cortisol during sleep is crucial for reducing stress and impairing neuroplasticity.Molly emphasizes that sleep is an active period of brain maintenance, repair, and growth, essential for forming new pathways for habit change.Impact of Sleep Deprivation on NeuroplasticityMolly explains that sleep deprivation severely impacts the brain's ability to rewire itself, making it harder to form new connections.She mentions a study from the University of Pennsylvania that found one night of sleep deprivation reduced neuroplasticity in mice.Sleep deprivation impairs the prefrontal cortex, affecting decision-making and impulse control.Molly discusses how overtiredness leads to decision fatigue, making it harder to stick to goals and avoid old behavior patterns like overdrinking.Practical Tips for Improving Sleep QualityMolly advises using sleep trackers like Fitbit, Aura Ring, or apps like Sleep Cycles to monitor sleep quality and identify patterns.Consistency in bedtime and wake-up times is crucial for improving sleep quality, even if the amount of sleep varies.Creating a relaxing sleep environment by keeping the room cool and dark, and establishing a pre-sleep routine, can help signal to the brain that it's time to rest.Molly recommends avoiding alcohol and caffeine before bed, as they can interfere with sleep quality, and practicing relaxation techniques like mindfulness meditation and deep breathing.Conclusion and Encouragement for Better SleepMolly reiterates that quality sleep is essential for supporting neuroplasticity and behavior change, whether breaking old habits or building new ones.She emphasizes that sleep is more than just feeling well-rested; it provides the brain with the best environment to create long-term changes.Molly encourages listeners to make small, incremental changes towards improving sleep quality and prioritizing it for overall brain health.She concludes by asking for feedback on the Think Thursday episodes and reminding listeners of the importance of supporting brain health for successful habit change. ★ Support this podcast ★

Wanna chat and get more personalized support? I'm offering podcast listeners a free 20-minute Thriving Mama Check-In where we'll evaluate your physical, mental, and emotional health and provide useful resources to help you on your journey. In this episode, Stephanie discusses the significance of sleep for overall health and well-being, and shares her personal struggles with sleep deprivation as a new mother. She provides practical tips for creating a sleep-friendly environment and establishing consistent sleep habits to promote better quality rest.Timestamps:3:00 How to prioritize sleep for optimal health.9:08 Improve cognitive function through better sleep practices.10:38 Regulate mood by improving sleep quality.11:40 Enhance physical health with consistent sleep patterns.13:34 Create a comfortable sleep environment for better rest.15:44 Establish a consistent sleep schedule for long-term benefits.17:36 Limit screen time before bed to improve sleep quality.Resources Mentioned:Flux | AppFind More From Dr. Stephanie Davis:Thrive Mama Tribe | WebsiteThrive Mama Tribe | InstagramThrive Mama Tribe | Skool

Join me, as we explore the empowering journey from traditional schooling to homeschooling. Discover the vital role of play and imagination in early childhood education. We address common parental anxieties about early academics and highlight the benefits of imaginative play and outdoor activities for young children. Emphasizing a balanced approach, we discuss how play fosters bonding, creativity, and developmental growth, advocating for a more holistic view of early education. In our conversation about the impact of technology on imagination, we uncover how boredom can be a powerful catalyst for creativity in children. We also provide practical tips for encouraging imaginative play, drawing on research and expert opinions, and share personal experiences to support children in unlocking their creative potential. Join us as we embrace boredom and spark creativity for both children and adults. Free to Learn by Dr. Peter Gray Scholastic: The Importance of Pretend Play Ignite Your Child's Inspiration by Dr. Nicole Beurkens The Need for Pretend Play in Child Development by Dr. Dorothy Singer & Dr. Jerome Miracle Recreation: The Importance of Imagination in Child Development  Tips For Building a Child's Imagination: Dr. Susan Irvine  Mayo Clinic Health System: Boost Your Brain with Boredom by Dr. Ashok Seshardri:  10 Simple Activities to Boost Your Imagination *Please note that some of the links included in this article are Amazon affiliate links. CONNECT with US Join the Private Facebook Group  Connect and follow along with Janae's Journey on Instagram @janae.daniels Learn more about School to Homeschool  

Today, you'll learn about a revolutionary new system that can turn saltwater into drinking water with the help of the sun, how your brain chooses what memories to keep, and a super-Earth with a really dark side. Solar Drinking Water “Solar-powered technology converts saltwater into drinking water emission-free.” King's College London. 2024. “Flexible batch electrodialysis for low-cost solar-powered brackish water desalination.” by Wei He, et al. 2024. “Valuing Water.” United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. 2021. Forgetting Memories “How the brain chooses which memories are important enough to save and which to let fade away.” by Linda Carroll. 2024. “Relax! It'll boost your memory, study shows.” by Kate Kelland. 2010. “Normal and Abnormal Sharp Wave Ripples in the Hippocampal-Entohinal Cortex System: Implications for Memory Consolidation, Alzheimer's Disease, and Temporal Lobe Epilepsy.” by Zhi-Hang Zhen, et al. 2021. Super-Earth “This super-Earth is the first planet confirmed to have a permanent dark side.” by Joseph Howlett. 2024. “LHS 3844 b.” NASA Exoplanet Catalog. N.d. “Tidal Locking.” NASA. 2024. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This is episode 4 of a 6-part special series on sleep with Dr. Matthew Walker, Ph.D., a professor of neuroscience and psychology at the University of California, Berkeley, and author of the best-selling book "Why We Sleep." In this episode, we discuss the relationship between sleep, learning and creativity.  We explain why and how sleep before and after a learning bout can improve memory and performance for both cognitive tasks and physical skills. We also discuss how to use time learning and sleep, how to use naps, non-sleep deep rest states, and caffeine to optimize learning, and the mechanisms for sleep and memory consolidation.  We also explain the critical role that sleep plays in creativity and one's ability to discover novel solutions to challenges and problems.  This episode is filled with actionable information on using sleep to enhance skill learning and improve memory and creativity.  The next episode in this guest series explains how sleep benefits emotional regulation and mental health.  For show notes, including referenced articles and additional resources, please visit hubermanlab.com. Thank you to our sponsors AG1: https://drinkag1.com/huberman Helix Sleep: https://helixsleep.com/huberman  WHOOP: https://join.whoop.com/huberman  Waking Up: https://wakingup.com/huberman  InsideTracker: https://insidetracker.com/huberman  Momentous: https://livemomentous.com/huberman Timestamps (00:00:00) Sleep & Learning (00:00:59) Sponsors: Helix Sleep, Whoop & Waking Up (00:05:48) Learning, Memory & Sleep (00:09:32) Memory & Sleep, “All-Nighters”, Hippocampus (00:13:46) Naps & Learning Capacity (00:16:59) Early School Start Times, Performance & Accidents (00:26:38) Medical Residency & Sleep Deprivation (00:29:35) Sponsor: AG1 (00:30:49) Tool: Sleep Before Learning; Cramming Effect (00:35:09) Tools: Caffeine; Timing Peak Learning; “Second Wind” (00:44:25) Memory Consolidation in Sleep (00:55:07) Sleepwalking & Talking; REM-Sleep Behavioral Disorder (01:00:16) REM Sleep Paralysis, Alcohol, Stress (01:07:41) Sponsor: InsideTracker (01:08:46) Skills, Motor Learning & Sleep (01:17:03) Tool: Timing Sleep & Learning, Skill Enhancement (01:20:00) Naps; Specificity & Memory Consolidation, Sleep Spindles (01:27:21) Sleep, Motor Learning & Athletes; Automaticity (01:34:10) Can Learning Improve Sleep? (01:39:13) Tool: Exercise to Improve Sleep; Performance, Injury & Motivation (01:44:38) Pillars of Health; Dieting & Sleep Deprivation (01:49:35) Performance & Poor Sleep, Belief Effects, “Orthosomnia” (01:57:03) “Overnight Alchemy”, Sleep & Novel Memory Linking (02:05:58) Sleep & Creativity (02:11:09) Tools: Waking & Technology; Naps; “Sleep on a Problem” (02:20:51) Creative Insight & Sleep (02:26:18) Zero-Cost Support, Spotify & Apple Reviews, Sponsors, YouTube Feedback, Momentous, Social Media, Neural Network Newsletter Disclaimer

Link to bioRxiv paper: http://biorxiv.org/cgi/content/short/2023.07.14.549070v1?rss=1 Authors: Martinez, J. D., Wilson, L. G., Brancaleone, W., Peterson, K., Popke, D. S., Caicedo Garzon, V., Perez Tremble, R., Donnelly, M. J., Mendez Ortega, S., Torres, D., Shaver, J., Clawson, B. C., Jiang, S., Yang, Z., Aton, S. Abstract: Fragile X syndrome (FXS) is a highly-prevalent genetic cause of intellectual disability, associated with disrupted cognition and sleep abnormalities. Sleep loss itself negatively impacts cognitive function, yet the contribution of sleep loss to impaired cognition in FXS is vastly understudied. One untested possibility is that disrupted cognition in FXS is exacerbated by abnormal sleep. We hypothesized that restoration of sleep-dependent mechanisms could improve functions such as memory consolidation in FXS. We examined whether administration of ML297, a hypnotic drug acting on G-protein-activated inward-rectifying potassium channels, could restore sleep phenotypes and improve disrupted memory consolidation in Fmr1-/y mice. Using 24-h polysomnographic recordings, we found that Fmr1-/y mice exhibit reduced non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep and fragmented NREM sleep architecture, alterations in NREM EEG spectral power (including reductions in sleep spindles), and reduced EEG coherence between cortical areas. These alterations were reversed in the hours following ML297 administration. Hypnotic treatment following contextual fear or spatial learning also ameliorated disrupted memory consolidation in Fmr1-/y mice. Hippocampal activation patterns during memory recall was altered in Fmr1-/y mice, reflecting an altered balance of activity among principal neurons vs. parvalbumin-expressing (PV+) interneurons. This phenotype was partially reversed by post-learning ML297 administration. These studies suggest that sleep disruption could have a major impact on neurophysiological and behavioral phenotypes in FXS, and that hypnotic therapy may significantly improve disrupted cognition in this disorder. Copy rights belong to original authors. Visit the link for more info Podcast created by Paper Player, LLC

Link to bioRxiv paper: http://biorxiv.org/cgi/content/short/2023.07.14.549055v1?rss=1 Authors: Samaddar, S., Srinivasan, B., Garg, K., Raj, N., Sultana, S., Mukherjee, U., Banerjee, D., Liau, W.-S., Palakodeti, D., Bredy, T. W., Banerjee, S. Abstract: Characterization of brain-enriched lncRNAs have predominantly been restricted to the nuclear compartment; with limited exploration of synaptic lncRNA functions. Our RNA-seq analysis of synaptoneurosomes identify 94 synaptically-enriched lncRNAs in the adult mouse hippocampus. Among these, we characterized the roles of Pantr1, Pvt1 and 2410006H16Rik (named SynLAMP) in glutamatergic synapse development, plasticity and memory. Pvt1 regulates dendritic arborization, spine morphology and glutamatergic synapse formation via a molecular framework of synaptogenic genes; as detected by RNA-seq analysis of the hippocampal trancriptome following Pvt1 knockdown. SynLAMP and Pantr1 modulate mEPSC amplitude and surface AMPA receptor distribution in mature synapses. We find activity-invoked redistribution of these synaptic lncRNAs and their concommitant reversible association with RNA binding proteins. The activity-dependent, transcript-specific synaptic localization of SynLAMP and Pantr1 indicate their synapse-centric function. SynLAMP specifically regulates basal and activity-invoked nascent translation in somato-dendritic compartments and its RNAi disrupts memory consolidation, underlining its input-specific role in synaptic translation. Copy rights belong to original authors. Visit the link for more info Podcast created by Paper Player, LLC

Link to bioRxiv paper: http://biorxiv.org/cgi/content/short/2023.06.29.546822v1?rss=1 Authors: Leach, S., Krugliakova, E., Sousouri, G., Snipes, S., Scorucak, J., Schuehle, S., Mueller, M., Ferster, M. L., Da Poian, G., Karlen, W., Huber, R. Abstract: The pivotal role of sleep in memory consolidation is widely acknowledged, yet which specific electrophysiological components drive this process remains a topic of intense debate. To unveil this process, a neuromodulation approach enabling the precise manipulation of specific oscillations is necessary. Here, we combined phase-targeted auditory stimulation (PTAS) during sleep in combination with high-density electroencephalography (hd-EEG) to specifically evoke K-complexes (KCs), a prominent oscillation during non-rapid-eye-movement (NREM) sleep. Over the course of two nights, one with PTAS, the other without, data from 14 young healthy adults were recorded. By targeting the down-phase of slow waves, auditory stimuli selectively evoked KCs. Strikingly, these evoked KCs were associated with improved verbal memory consolidation via enhanced cross-frequency coupling between slow waves and spindles in a right frontal region. This finding suggests that evoked KCs actively participate in the hippocampal-neocortical dialogue and thereby drive the consolidation of memories during sleep. Copy rights belong to original authors. Visit the link for more info Podcast created by Paper Player, LLC

Link to bioRxiv paper: http://biorxiv.org/cgi/content/short/2023.03.28.534509v1?rss=1 Authors: El-Oussini, H., Zhang, C.-L., Francois, U., Castelli, C., Lampin Saint-Amaux, A., Lepleux, M., Molle, P., Velez, L., Dejean, C., Lanore, F., Herry, C., Choquet, D., Humeau, Y. Abstract: Consolidation of recent memory depends on hippocampal activities during resting periods that immediately follows the memory encoding. There, Slow Save Sleep phases appear as privileged periods for memory consolidation as hosting the ripple activities, which are fast oscillations generated within the hippocampus whose inactivation leads to memory impairment. If a strong correlation exists between these replays of recent experience and the persistence of behavioural adaptations, the mobilisation, the localization and the importance of synaptic plasticity events in this process is largely unknown. To question this issue, we used cell-surface AMPAR immobilisation to block post-synaptic LTP within the hippocampal region at various steps of the memory process. 1- Our results show that hippocampal synaptic plasticity is engaged during the consolidation but is dispensable during the encoding or recall of a working memory based spatial memory task. 2- Blockade of plasticity during sleep leads to apparent forgetting of the encoded rule. 3- In vivo recordings of ripple activities during resting periods show a strong impact of AMPAR immobilization solely, prominent when a rule has been recently encoded. 4- In situ examination of the interplay between AMPAR mobility, hippocampal plasticity and spontaneous ripple activities pointed that post-synaptic plasticity at CA3-CA3 recurrent synapses support ripple generation. As crucial results were reproduced using another AMPARM blockade strategy, we propose that after rule encoding, post-synaptic AMPAR mobility at CA3 recurrent synapses support the generation of ripples necessary for rule consolidation. Copy rights belong to original authors. Visit the link for more info Podcast created by Paper Player, LLC

Link to bioRxiv paper: http://biorxiv.org/cgi/content/short/2023.03.28.534494v1?rss=1 Authors: Schmidig, F. J., Geva-Sagiv, M., Falach, R., Yakim, S., Gat, Y., Sharon, O., Fried, I., Nir, Y. Abstract: Sleep improves memory consolidation, including hippocampus-dependent declarative memory. It is thought that by associating multiple aspects of an experience, the hippocampus enables its transformation into an enduring memory. Most research on human sleep and declarative memory uses exhaustive learning of word-pair associations. Here we present the visual paired association learning (vPAL) paradigm, in which participants learn new associations between images of celebrities and animals. vPAL associations are based on a one-shot exposure that resembles learning in natural conditions. Furthermore, vPAL is an engaging short paradigm that does not require rehearsal or reading, making it valuable for clinical settings. We tested if vPAL can reveal a role for sleep in memory consolidation by assessing the specificity of memory recognition, and the cued recall performance, before and after sleep. We found that a daytime nap improved the stability of recognition memory (decay was minimized) compared to identical intervals of wakefulness. By contrast, cued recall of associations did not exhibit significant sleep-dependent effects. Investigating memory consolidation during sleep with the vPAL paradigm opens up new avenues for future research across ages and heterogeneous populations in health and disease. Copy rights belong to original authors. Visit the link for more info Podcast created by Paper Player, LLC

https://psychiatry.dev/wp-content/uploads/speaker/post-12178.mp3?cb=1678347945.mp3 Playback speed: 0.8x 1x 1.3x 1.6x 2x Download: Sleep-dependent memory consolidation in schizophrenia: A systematic review and meta-analysis – Review Cemal Demirlek et al. Schizophrenia Research. 2023. Sleep disturbances andFull EntrySleep-dependent memory consolidation in schizophrenia: A systematic review and meta-analysis –

Link to bioRxiv paper: http://biorxiv.org/cgi/content/short/2023.02.20.528994v1?rss=1 Authors: Iyer, S., Collier, E., Finn, E. S., Meyer, M. Abstract: We are often surprised when an interaction we remember positively is recalled by a peer negatively. What colors social memories with positive versus negative hues? We show that when resting after a social experience, individuals showing similar default network responding subsequently remember more negative information, while individuals showing idiosyncratic default network responding remember more positive information. Results were specific to rest after the social experience (as opposed to before or during the social experience, or rest after a nonsocial experience). For the first time, we identified post-encoding rest as a key moment and the default network as a key brain system in which negative affect homogenizes, whereas positive affect diversifies social memories. The results also provide novel neural evidence in support of the "broaden and build" theory of positive emotion, which posits that while negative affect confines, positive affect broadens idiosyncrasy in cognitive processing. Copy rights belong to original authors. Visit the link for more info Podcast created by Paper Player, LLC

Link to bioRxiv paper: http://biorxiv.org/cgi/content/short/2023.01.25.525599v1?rss=1 Authors: Liu, J., Xia, T., Chen, D., Yao, Z., Zhu, M., Antony, J. W., Lee, T. M., Hu, X. Abstract: Understanding how individual memory traces are reactivated during sleep is instrumental to the theorizing of memory consolidation, a process during which newly acquired information becomes stabilized and long-lasting. Via targeted memory reactivation (TMR), a technique that unobtrusively delivers learning-related memory cues to sleeping participants, we examined the reactivation of individual memories during slow-wave sleep and how canonical neural oscillations support item-specific memory reactivation. Furthermore, we investigated how pre-sleep testing, which presumably induces fast consolidation before sleep, would modulate sleep-mediated memory reactivation. Applying multivariate representational similarity analysis (RSA) to the cue-elicited electroencephalogram (EEG), we identified significant item-specific representations in two post-cue time windows (620-1350 ms and 2270-3190 ms) for post-sleep remembered items, with only the later item-specific representations contributing to memory consolidation. Untested items (i.e., items that were not tested pre-sleep), but not tested items, elicited higher spindles that predicted stronger item-specific representations and post-sleep memories. Notably, for untested items, the strengths of memory reactivation and spindles were temporally coupled to the up-state of the slow oscillation activity. Together, our results unveiled how item-specific memory reactivation and its link with neural oscillations during sleep contributed to memory consolidation. This knowledge will benefit future research aiming to perturb specific memory episodes during sleep. Copy rights belong to original authors. Visit the link for more info Podcast created by Paper Player, LLC

Link to bioRxiv paper: http://biorxiv.org/cgi/content/short/2022.12.27.521981v1?rss=1 Authors: Eisenstein, T., Furman-Haran, E., Tal, A. Abstract: The learning of new motor skills constitutes an inseparable part of our lives. Motor consolidation refers to the offline processing of motor memories following the acquisition of new motor skills. The animal literature suggests that the primary motor cortex (M1) plays a key role in motor memory consolidation, and structural and functional plasticity in M1 following motor consolidation have been demonstrated. However, the mechanisms supporting motor memory consolidation and plasticity in the human M1 are not well understood. Initial human neuroimaging studies show that the initial stages of motor learning in humans are accompanied by short-term temporal dynamics of the brain main excitatory and inhibitory neurotransmitters, Glutamate (Glu) and GABA, in M1, but it remains unclear how these relate to the question of motor memory consolidation. Here, we show that early Glu and GABA modifications in M1 following motor skill learning may play vital roles in supporting motor memory consolidation and neural plasticity that take place over longer time scales. Using a multimodal magnetic resonance approach implemented on ultra-high field 7T scanner in healthy young adults (n=36), we found increased Glu and decreased GABA in M1 during the initial offline period following learning to support consolidation-related local and inter-regional functions of M1, such as motor memory reactivation and increased functional connectivity with the striatum. These neurochemical changes also correlated with overnight structural and functional plasticity expressed as increased M1 grey matter volume and functional connectivity, while Glu modifications also correlated with adaptive behavior, as reflected by improvements in skill performance. Our results provide intriguing microscale mechanistic evidence to the potential distinctive roles of Glu and GABA in promoting motor memory consolidation and plasticity in the human M1. They also highlight a role for early neurochemical modifications to memory consolidation and plasticity in the human brain and may hold important clinical implications in rehabilitative settings such as in stroke and brain injury. Copy rights belong to original authors. Visit the link for more info Podcast created by Paper Player, LLC

Link to bioRxiv paper: http://biorxiv.org/cgi/content/short/2022.12.14.520481v1?rss=1 Authors: Yu, W., Zadbood, A., Chanales, A. J. H., Davachi, L. Abstract: No sooner is an experience over than its neural memory representation begins to be strengthened and transformed through the process of memory replay. Using fMRI, we examined how memory strength manipulated through repetition during encoding modulates post-encoding replay in humans. Results revealed that repetition did not increase replay frequency in the hippocampus. However, replay in cortical regions and hippocampal-cortical coordinated replay were significantly enhanced for repeated events, suggesting that repetition accelerates the consolidation process. Interestingly, we found that replay frequency in both hippocampus and cortex modulated behavioral success on an immediate associative recognition test for the weakly encoded information, indicating a significant role for post-encoding replay in rescuing oncepresented events. Together, our findings highlight the relationships of replay to stabilizing weak memories and accelerating cortical consolidation for strong memories. Copy rights belong to original authors. Visit the link for more info Podcast created by Paper Player, LLC

Link to bioRxiv paper: http://biorxiv.org/cgi/content/short/2022.12.08.519638v1?rss=1 Authors: Lindsey, J., Litwin-Kumar, A. Abstract: In a variety of species and behavioral contexts, learning and memory formation recruits two neural systems, with initial plasticity in one system being consolidated into the other over time. Here, we propose and analyze a model that captures common computational principles underlying such phenomena. The key component of this model is a mechanism by which a long-term learning and memory system prioritizes the storage of synaptic changes that are consistent with prior updates to the short-term system. This mechanism, which we refer to as recall-gated consolidation, has the effect of shielding long-term memory from spurious synaptic changes, enabling it to focus on reliable signals in the environment. We describe neural circuit implementations of this model for different types of learning problems, including supervised learning, reinforcement learning, and autoassociative memory storage. These implementations involve learning rules modulated by factors such as prediction accuracy, decision confidence, or familiarity. We then develop an analytical theory of the learning and memory performance of the model, in comparison to alternatives relying only on synapse-local consolidation mechanisms. We find that recall-gated consolidation provides significant advantages, substantially amplifying the signal-to-noise ratio with which memories can be stored in noisy environments. We show that recall-gated consolidation gives rise to a number of phenomena that are present in behavioral learning paradigms, including spaced learning effects, task-dependent rates of consolidation, and differing neural representations in short- and long-term pathways. Copy rights belong to original authors. Visit the link for more info Podcast created by Paper Player, LLC

Link to bioRxiv paper: http://biorxiv.org/cgi/content/short/2022.11.29.518200v1?rss=1 Authors: Boutin, A., Gabitov, E., Pinsard, B., Bore, A., Carrier, J., Doyon, J. Abstract: Sleep benefits motor memory consolidation, which is mediated by sleep spindle activity and associated memory reactivations during non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep. However, the particular role of NREM2 and NREM3 sleep spindles and the mechanisms triggering this memory consolidation process remain controversial. Here, simultaneous electroencephalographic and functional magnetic resonance imaging (EEGfMRI) recordings were collected during night-time sleep following the learning of a motor sequence task. Adopting a time-based clustering approach, we provide evidence that spindles iteratively occur within clustered and temporally organized patterns during both NREM2 and NREM3 sleep. However, the clustering of spindles in trains is related to motor memory consolidation during NREM2 sleep only. Altogether, our findings suggest that the clustering and rhythmic occurrence of spindles during NREM2 sleep may serve as an intrinsic rhythmic sleep mechanism for the timed reactivation and subsequent consolidation of motor memories, through synchronized oscillatory activity within a subcortical-cortical network involved during learning. Copy rights belong to original authors. Visit the link for more info Podcast created by Paper Player, LLC

Link to bioRxiv paper: http://biorxiv.org/cgi/content/short/2022.11.09.515837v1?rss=1 Authors: Wang, L., Park, L., Wu, W., King, D., Medina, A. V., Raven, F., Martinez, J. D., Ensing, A., Yang, Z., Jiang, S., Aton, S. Abstract: Post-learning sleep plays an important role in hippocampal memory processing, including contextual fear memory (CFM) consolidation. Here, we used targeted recombination in activated populations (TRAP) to label context-encoding engram neurons in the hippocampal dentate gyrus (DG) and assessed reactivation of these neurons during post-learning sleep. We find that post-learning sleep deprivation (SD), which impairs CFM consolidation, selectively disrupts reactivation in inferior blade DG engram neurons. This change was linked to more general suppression of neuronal activity markers in the inferior, but not superior, DG blade by SD. To further characterize how learning and subsequent sleep or SD affect these (and other) hippocampal subregions, we used subregion-specific spatial profiling of transcripts and proteins. We found that transcriptomic responses to sleep loss differed greatly between hippocampal regions CA1, CA3, and DG inferior blade, superior blade, and hilus. Critically, learning-driven transcriptomic changes, measured 6 h following contextual fear learning, were limited to the two DG blades, differed dramatically between the blades, and were absent from all other regions. Similarly, protein abundance in these hippocampal subregions were differentially impacted by sleep vs. SD and by prior learning, with the majority of alterations to protein expression restricted to DG. Together, these data suggest that the DG plays an essential role in the consolidation of hippocampal memories, and that the effects of sleep and sleep loss on the hippocampus are highly subregion-specific, even within the DG itself. Copy rights belong to original authors. Visit the link for more info Podcast created by Paper Player, LLC

Link to bioRxiv paper: http://biorxiv.org/cgi/content/short/2022.11.01.514668v1?rss=1 Authors: Gann, M. A., Dolfen, N., King, B. R., Robertson, E. M., Albouy, G. Abstract: Functional brain responses in hippocampo- and striato-cortical networks during initial motor sequence learning (MSL) are critical for memory consolidation. We have recently shown that prefrontal stimulation applied prior to initial MSL can alter these learning-related responses. In the present study, we investigated whether such stimulation-induced modulations of brain responses can influence motor memory consolidation at different timescales. Specifically, we examined the effect of prefrontal stimulation on the behavioral and neural responses associated to (i) fast consolidation processes occurring during short rest episodes interspersed with practice during initial learning (i.e., micro timescale) and (ii) slow consolidation process taking place across practice sessions separated by 24h (i.e., macro timescale). To do so, we applied active (inhibitory or facilitatory) or control theta-burst stimulation to the prefrontal cortex of young healthy participants before they were trained on an MSL task while their brain activity was recorded using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Motor performance was retested, in the MRI scanner, after a night of sleep. Both our behavioral and brain imaging results indicate that while stimulation did not modulate consolidation at the macro timescale, it disrupted the micro-offline consolidation process. Specifically, our behavioral data indicate that active - as compared to control - stimulation resulted in a decrease in micro-offline gains in performance over the short rest intervals. At the brain level, stimulation disrupted activity in the caudate nucleus and the hippocampus during the micro-offline intervals. Additionally, multivariate pattern persistence from task into inter-practice rest episodes - which is thought to reflect the reactivation of learning-related patterns - was hindered by active prefrontal stimulation in the hippocampus and caudate nucleus. Importantly, stimulation also altered the link between the brain and the behavioral markers of the micro-offline consolidation process. These results collectively suggest that active prefrontal stimulation prior to MSL disrupted both the behavioral and neural correlates of motor memory consolidation at the micro timescale. Copy rights belong to original authors. Visit the link for more info Podcast created by Paper Player, LLC

Link to bioRxiv paper: http://biorxiv.org/cgi/content/short/2022.10.10.511566v1?rss=1 Authors: Boyce, R., Yong, H. C., Carmichael, J. E., Brandon, M., Williams, S. Abstract: The neural mechanisms behind the role of rapid-eye-movement sleep (REMs) in spatial memory formation are unclear. Here, we performed hippocampal CA1 single-unit recordings in mice expressing archaerhodopsin in GABAergic neurons of the medial septum (MSGABA), an established optogenetic method enabling REMs-selective theta rhythm attenuation resulting in spatial memory deficits. Analysis of CA1 neural assemblies during REMs revealed reduced synchrony of constituent neural activity during MSGABA silencing. Subsequent investigation of recently formed CA1 place cells demonstrated that REMs-selective MSGABA inhibition reduced the place stability of those which participated in prior REMs assembly activity, but not of those which did not. This suggests that CA1 neural assemblies during REMs facilitate spatial memory formation by stabilizing spatial representations in a plastic subpopulation of participating CA1 neurons. Copy rights belong to original authors. Visit the link for more info Podcast created by PaperPlayer

Link to bioRxiv paper: http://biorxiv.org/cgi/content/short/2022.10.11.511798v1?rss=1 Authors: Bellfy, L., Smies, C. W., Bernhardt, A. R., Bodinayake, K. K., Sebastian, A., Stuart, E. M., Wright, D. S., Lo, C.-Y., Murakami, S., Boyd, H. M., von Abo, M. J., Albert, I., Kwapis, J. L. Abstract: The circadian system influences many different biological processes, including memory performance. While the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) functions as the central pacemaker of the brain, satellite clocks have also been identified in other brain regions, such as the memory-relevant dorsal hippocampus. Although it is unclear how these satellite clocks contribute to brain function, one possibility is that they may serve to exert diurnal control over local processes. Within the hippocampus, for example, the local clock may contribute to time-of-day effects on memory. Here, we used the hippocampus-dependent Object Location Memory task to determine how memory is regulated across the day/night cycle in mice. First, we systematically determined which phase of memory (acquisition, consolidation, or retrieval) is modulated across the 24h day. We found that mice show better long-term memory performance during the day than at night, an effect that was specifically attributed to diurnal changes in memory consolidation, as neither memory acquisition nor memory retrieval fluctuated across the day/night cycle. Using RNA-sequencing we identified the circadian clock gene Period1 (Per1) as a key mechanism capable of supporting this diurnal fluctuation in memory consolidation, as Per1 oscillates in tandem with memory performance. We then show that local knockdown of Per1 within the dorsal hippocampus has no effect on either the circadian rhythm or sleep behavior, although previous work has shown this manipulation impairs memory. Thus, Per1 may independently function within the dorsal hippocampus to regulate memory in addition to its known role in regulating the circadian rhythm within the SCN. Per1 may therefore exert local diurnal control over memory consolidation within the dorsal hippocampus. Copy rights belong to original authors. Visit the link for more info Podcast created by PaperPlayer

We spend a third of our lives sleeping and there is no greater enjoyment than a really good afternoon nap. Back in preschool, the good old days, naps were built into our daily schedules but as adults - not so much. But should they be? Is there any neurological benefit or detriment to taking a nap?Tune in to learn a little bit more about the neuroscience behind sleep, memory, and naps!Please rate, review, and subscribe and if you have any questions, comments, concerns, queries, or complaints, please email me at neuroscienceamateurhour@gmail.com or DM me at NeuroscienceAmateurHour on Instagram. Citations and relevant papers below:Cherry K. The 4 Stages of Sleep (NREM and REM Sleep Cycles). Verywell Health. Published June 16, 2007. https://www.verywellhealth.com/the-four-stages-of-sleep-2795920The Haunting Effects Of Going Days Without Sleep. NPR.org. https://www.npr.org/2017/12/27/573739653/the-haunting-effects-of-going-days-without-sleep#:~:text=VEDANTAM%3A%20At%202%3A00%20in..Alberini CM, Chen DY. Memory enhancement: consolidation, reconsolidation and insulin-like growth factor 2. Trends in Neurosciences. 2012;35(5):274-283. doi:10.1016/j.tins.2011.12.007Walker MP, Stickgold R. Sleep-Dependent Learning and Memory Consolidation. Neuron. 2004;44(1):121-133. doi:10.1016/j.neuron.2004.08.031McKenzie S, Eichenbaum H. Consolidation and Reconsolidation: Two Lives of Memories? Neuron. 2011;71(2):224-233. doi:10.1016/j.neuron.2011.06.037Rasch B, Born J. About Sleep's Role in Memory. Physiological Reviews. 2013;93(2):681-766. doi:10.1152/physrev.00032.2012Walker MP. The role of slow wave sleep in memory processing. Journal of clinical sleep medicine : JCSM : official publication of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine. 2009;5(2 Suppl):S20-6. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2824214/Kumar D, Koyanagi I, Carrier-Ruiz A, et al. Sparse Activity of Hippocampal Adult-Born Neurons during REM Sleep Is Necessary for Memory Consolidation. Neuron. 2020;107(3):552-565.e10. doi:10.1016/j.neuron.2020.05.008Groch S, Wilhelm I, Diekelmann S, Born J. The role of REM sleep in the processing of emotional memories: Evidence from behavior and event-related potentials. Neurobiology of Learning and Memory. 2013;99:1-9. doi:10.1016/j.nlm.2012.10.006Horváth K, Plunkett K. Spotlight on daytime napping during early childhood. Nature and Science of Sleep. 2018;Volume 10:97-104. doi:10.2147/nss.s126252Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/neuroscienceamateurhour)

Input Source and Strength Influences Overall Firing Phase of Model Hippocampal Pyramidal Cells During Theta: Relevance to REM Sleep Reactivation and Memory Consolidation, Different Simultaneous Sleep States in the Hippocampus and Neocortex, Unraveling Why We Sleep: Quantitative Analysis Reveals Abrupt Transition from Neural Reorganization to Repair in Early Growth, and Shining a Light on the Mechanisms of Sleep for Memory Consolidation Scientific Sense ® by Gill Eapen: Prof. Gina Poe, who is Professor of Integrative Biology and Physiology at UCLA. Her Lab investigates the mechanisms by which sleep traits serve learning and memory consolidation. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/scientificsense/message

Learn how your brain replays the things you've practiced at 20 times speed; and an engine that uses information as fuel. On your practice breaks, your brain replays memories of your practice session at 20x speed by Kelsey Donk Human brain replays new memories at 20 times the speed during waking rest. (2021). EurekAlert! https://eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2021-06/cp-hbr060321.php  Buch, E. R., Claudino, L., Quentin, R., Bönstrup, M., & Cohen, L. G. (2021). Consolidation of human skill linked to waking hippocampo-neocortical replay. Cell Reports, 35(10), 109193. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.celrep.2021.109193  Scientists built an ultrafast engine that they claim uses information as fuel by Briana Brownell Ratner, P. (2021, May 24). Researchers design an engine that uses information as fuel. Big Think; Big Think. https://bigthink.com/surprising-science/fastest-ever-information-engine  ‌World's fastest information-fuelled engine designed by SFU researchers - University Communications - Simon Fraser University. (2021). www.sfu.ca. http://www.sfu.ca/university-communications/issues-experts/2021/05/world-s-fastest-information-fuelled-engine-designed-by-sfu-resea.html  ‌Saha, T. K., Lucero, J. N. E., Ehrich, J., Sivak, D. A., & Bechhoefer, J. (2021). Maximizing power and velocity of an information engine. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 118(20), e2023356118. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2023356118  Follow Curiosity Daily on your favorite podcast app to learn something new every day withCody Gough andAshley Hamer. Still curious? Get exclusive science shows, nature documentaries, and more real-life entertainment on discovery+! Go to https://discoveryplus.com/curiosity to start your 7-day free trial. discovery+ is currently only available for US subscribers. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Welcome back to the Neuroscience Meets Social and Emotional Learning Podcast, for Brain Fact Friday and episode #127 on Using Brain Network Theory to Understand How Emotions Impact Learning, Memory, and the Brain. To see the images for this episode, click on this link, if you are listening on iTunes. In this episode, you will learn: ✔︎ The how our emotions drive learning. ✔︎ How our memories form, and how to erase unwanted memories. ✔︎ The old way of looking at our brain (The Three Brains) vs (Brain Network Theory). ✔︎ Strategies to create balance in our brain in our classrooms and workplaces. Welcome back, I'm Andrea Samadi, a former educator who has been fascinated with understanding the science behind high performance strategies in schools, sports and the workplace for the past 20 years. If you have been listening to our podcast for some time, you will know that we’ve uncovered that if we want to improve our social and emotional skills, and experience success in our work and personal lives, it all begins with an understanding of our brain. We started Brain Fact Fridays last month to dive a bit deeper into some of top brain strategies we uncover in our interviews, or weekly episodes and from the feedback I have heard, these short episodes are helpful for learning about the brain in quick, easy to digest lessons, so we will continue with Brain Fact Fridays and I do appreciate the feedback! This past weekend, I was asked to be interviewed by Ti-Fen Pan, the host of the Compass Teachers Podcast,[i] from Taiwan. She interviews people around the globe on the most current educational topics, tactics, and resources, and she sent me a list of incredible questions that really made me think.  I love taking a break from being the person doing the interviews, and tune into other people’s shows, since I always want to learn something new, that I can share, and Ti-Fen really got me thinking with her podcast questions. How Do Our Emotions Drive Learning? Her first question to me was “what has neuroscience discovered about the relationship with our emotions and learning” and I had to think back to episode #100[ii] with Mary Helen Immordino-Yang, who is a Professor of Education, Psychology and Neuroscience at the University of Southern California and Director of the USC Center for Affective Neuroscience, Development, Learning and Education (CANDLE Center).[iii]  Mary Helen is an expert on learning and the brain, especially when it comes to emotions and learning. She wrote the book Emotions, Learning and the Brain,[iv] where she talks about how “We feel, therefore we learn”[v] in Part 1 of her book and this topic is one of her most powerful YouTube publications.  She is someone who I know I could spend the rest of my life following and I would learn something new from her every day. She studies the psychological and neurobiological development of emotion and self-awareness, and connections to social, cognitive, and moral development in educational settings. I opened up her book, and if you have come from the field of education, you will recognize Howard Gardner, an American psychologist best known for his theory of multiple intelligences who wrote her foreword reminding us that “30 years ago, we had no idea that one could study human emotions that emerge slowly over time—such as admiration and awe—and compare them psychologically and neurobiologically with emotions that emerge more quickly like surprise or fear.” (page 80. Emotions, Learning and the Brain) This is a whole other topic, and I will be interviewing Mike Rousell[vi] on what the element of surprise does to our brain this summer when his book The Power of Surprise comes out, but Gardner explains that even if we are not scientists ourselves, most of us are intrigued to learn these new scientific findings.  I couldn’t agree more, and with the interest that these episodes are creating, I think you would agree with me also. This thought from Howard Gardner, along with Ti- Fen’s podcast questions, made me want to put some serious thought into what exactly it is that motivates us to learn something new, and what is it that helps us to remember what we’ve learned. For this week’s Brain Fact Friday BRAIN FACT 1: Did you know that emotions help memories form and stick? I could spend the next year diving deep into this brain fact, and we can learn from Jaak Panksepp[vii]  a neuroscientist who concluded that humans have seven networks of emotion in the brain that begin with seeking—we are always looking for something new, the brain releases dopamine when it finds it, which awakens our perception of strong positive and negative emotions. “Emotions form a critical piece of how, what, when, and why people think, remember and learn Mary Helen reminds us (page 146 Emotions, Learning and the Brain) she says “it is literally neurobiologically impossible to build memories, engage complex thoughts, or make meaningful decision without emotion.” We know that humans are emotional and social beings, (hence the name of this podcast, Neuroscience Meets Social and Emotional Learning) and these skills are finally being recognized as crucial in our schools and workplaces, in addition to academic and cognitive development, or the core skills your brain uses to think, read, remember, reason, and pay attention. Research shows that “emotion has a substantial influence on the cognitive processes in humans including perception, attention, learning, memory, reasoning and problem solving.”[viii] This happens because our amygdala “is activated by emotional events. The amygdala boosts memory encoding by enhancing attention and perception and can help memory retention by triggering the release of stress hormones such as adrenaline and cortisol, to boost arousal.”[ix] A New Way of Looking at Our Brain vs The Old Way When I think about the first few years I began to learn how the brain learns, from my first few sessions with my mentor, Mark Waldman, everyone was talking about the 3 parts of the brain, and how they interact with each other. I still think it’s important to understand these 3 parts of the brain, (especially the Limbic System, the emotional part of our brain where our amygdala sits) but it’s important to change how we think about our brain from this old way, where we would maybe draw the amygdala in the limbic area of the brain, and point to it in our presentations, saying, this is the part of our brain that activated while we are under stress and we experience “fight, flight or freeze.” You might have heard that when under stress, our executive functions (in the neocortex of our brain) begin to shut down, and students cannot learn and it’s difficult to complete meaningful work. You might have even heard this being called the amygdala hi-jack or that the amygdala was responsible for the “fight or flight” response, but there’s much more involved with this part of the brain than to just keep us safe and alive. Brain Network Theory: Creating Balance in Our Brain Instead of thinking about just one part of our brain, or our amygdala and how it responds to stress and impacts our learning, or memory, or ability to work, I want to use Brain Network Theory to explore this a bit deeper. I did cover Brain Network Theory on episode #48[x] but here’s a review. When looking at the brain, some people use fMRI scans, others use SPECT image scans, but I am sure you have seen these images that show how different parts of our brain light up when we are doing different things. You will no longer see studies that talk only about the individual parts of the brain—like the amygdala, or hippocampus, you will now see images that describe brain networks, nodes and connectivity. This is a fascinating discovery that comes to life with these images. When thinking about our brain, learning, and memory, think about how our networks are all working together. You can see an image in the show notes created by Mark Waldman that shows the key networks in our brain.   Our Default Mode Network is the largest network in our brain--remember this image is just a map or metaphor to simplify the explanation of our brain networks to give you something to picture as you image your brain—not just the 3 parts of the brain in the first image, but how these networks interact with each other.  How these networks are all connected to our awareness with the star in the middle of the image and how these networks overlap each other. The DMN (or the I in the diagram for imagination)  contains our imagination processes like daydreaming, creative problem solving, and mind wandering and involves those thought processes that can include worry, doubts and fears that can stimulate our amygdala by sending a message to other parts of our brain that something important is going on that we should pay attention to. Our emotional state is governed by our amygdala which is “responsible for processing positive emotions like happiness, and negative ones like fear and anxiety”[xi]  and it’s important to find the equilibrium between our Amygdala, our Default Mode (Imagination) Network, and Salience (Stabilizing)  Network that is like the balancing part of our brain that thinks, weighs what’s important, and helps us to create the balance that we need. Balancing Our Emotional Brain: To Help Memories Stick Using Brain Network Theory as a tool to bring balance back to our brain, let’s imagine that our amygdala, Default Mode Network and Salience Network are playing a game of basketball. They all need to work together to create balance, to get the ball in the basket (a metaphor for whatever we are working on in our daily life).  When the amygdala suddenly trips,(like it would if it was telling you there’s something you need to pay attention to—good or bad) and the ball goes out of bounds, it can be like our amygdala processing our emotions and the rest of our brain needs to step in to bring the balance back. We’ve got to learn how to interrupt the emotion (it can be good or bad emotion) so you can bring the balance and focus back to your brain to continue learning. The more rapidly we can change between these 3 networks in our day, (imagine the amygdala, Default Mode Network and Salience Network passing a basketball back and forth to each other smoothly, and quickly that you can hear the ball snapping on each networks fingers) creating more well-being and productivity with this balancing act. This is exactly what Cognitive Behavioral Therapy does, but there are some simple ways to quickly bring balance back to your brain so you can gain control of your Central Execute Network and continue learning and make those memories stick. The Brain in the Classroom If emotions help memories form and stick, and the amygdala is the part of the brain that tells you to pay attention to something, and remember it, whether it’s good or bad, we want to do what we can to bring balance to our student’s brains in the classroom, or our brains in the workplace. Mindfulness in the Classroom: We have covered mindfulness on a few different episodes, starting with episode #25[xii] but this strategy is the most effective way to stimulate the insula and anterior cingulate in the brain (where our awareness lies) and brings back balance and well-being that have been documented in over 4,000 research studies. Mindfulness can be taught through breath work like box breathing[xiii] that’s a technique that’s a powerful tool for anyone to use to reduce stress. It’s used from “athletes to U.S. Navy Seals, police officers and nurses” and is simple for students to learn in the classroom, and hopefully take with them as a lifelong coping strategy. Taking Brain Breaks for Improved Creativity: when we are asking our students to give their focused attention, think about Brain Network Theory. Focus will cause brain fatigue, and too much of it depletes your brain of glucose and depletes you. Be sure to allow your students the time to shift between their Default Mode/ Imagination network, Central Executive (Thinking) Network and Salience (Stabilizing) Network so they can gain insights that are impossible during focused only times.  Allow them time to get up, rest their brain, walk around, go outside (if possible) and take short breaks every hour to keep students as productive as they can be.   The Amygdala First Aid Station[xiv]: I first saw this idea with Dr. Lori Desautels[xv], who suggested an area for students to go in the classroom when they feel overwhelmed. Instead of causing a fight in the classroom, students get up and go to a designated area that has calming lotion or something like that to allow students to reset their brain. I’ve put a link to some ideas in the show notes like cups to have students share their mood for the day, stress balls, popsicle stick coping strategies and many other creative ideas to calm a stressed student.[xvi] I noticed when my children were home from school during the pandemic that my youngest daughter enjoyed getting up from her desk, to go and pet the cat, before going back to do her work. These short breaks gave her a brain break and reset her focus for her next work session. I know we can’t have cats in our classrooms, but I have seen fluffy pillows work just as well for students like my daughter who can tend to get overwhelmed with her work. Dr. Lori Desautels, an Assistant Professor at Butler University (whose been on our podcast a few times) mentioned that students enjoy learning about their brain and how they can use this knowledge to improve their behavior and focus. She said “when we teach students about the amygdala, the hippocampus, neuroplasticity, and prefrontal cortex, it gives the brain science. It objectifies their behavior.” Many of her undergraduate students said “they wish they would’ve known neuroscience in middle school because students think something is wrong with them when they exhibit negative behavior. When students understand the science behind it, it intrigues them and they’re challenged to change those hard-wired circuits.” If you really want to capture a student’s attention in the classroom, teaching them the basics of how their brain works, especially to help them to achieve their goals, this information will fascinate them. Using the Brain in the Workplace for Improved Results Find Your Balance and Allow Creativity to Flow: The way to experience optimal health and well-being, that’s crucial for success in the workplace, is to create balance with your Default Mode (Imagination) Network, Central Executive (Thinking) Network and Salience (Stabilizing) Network. Notice when you are out of balance, or overly anxious--your Default Mode Network may be overly active, with worry, so learn to switch to a different brain network (since spending too much time with imagination can lead to ruminating thoughts) so switch to your Central Executive (thinking) Network, (get to work on something and notice there’s no time to worry). Work as long as you can, and then switch to your (stabilizing/values/social awareness) Network to bring back the give yourself a break. When we can give our brain breaks, it will allow for creative insights to flow during our imagination/resting states where we can have breakthroughs like the “20% time policy at Google, where the company’s engineers get a day a week to work on whatever they want”[xvii] to keep their creativity flowing.  See how you can replicate this process with your work. Tap into Your Motivation Network: Your motivation network is what gets you out of bed in the morning and pushes you to seek out anything that has a pleasurable reward. This circuit is located in the nucleus accumbens[xviii] of the brain and is driven by your instinct and curiosity that’s one of Jaak Panksepp’s Core Emotions (Panksepp was an Estonian neuroscientist who mapped out 7 emotional circuits in the mammalian brain (the hindbrain) with play being one of them. We went deep into the importance of having fun with our work on episode #27 with Friederike Fabritius[xix] on Achieving Peak Performance where she spoke about the importance of having fun with our work, bringing us to those higher levels of peak performance. Panksepp identified another emotion called SEEKING that keeps us moving forward, engaged in new and interesting activities and work throughout our lifetime. If you have lost motivation for your work, it’s time to look or like Panksepp would say, SEEK something that your brain will find new, and interesting, that will bring you JOY. This will engage you at the brain level. Listen to Your Second Brain: Your Gut Instinct Have you ever made a decision based upon your gut instinct? Neuroscience tells us “that this mind-gut connection is not just metaphorical. Our brain and gut are connected by an extensive network of neurons and a highway of chemicals and hormones that constantly provide feedback about how hungry we are, whether or not we’re experiencing stress” [xx] and many other important signals. You can strengthen your second brain with mindfulness, opening the door to one of the most powerful tools you can use to help you to become more self-aware and socially aware as you’ll begin to sense what others need and want. I once asked a business executive who was the last step in my interview process for this job I really wanted, after she offered me to position, I asked her “What made you choose me for the job?” I wanted to know what she would say, and the answer that came from this seasoned executive was not what I expected. She said “I went with my gut instinct” showing me of the power of using our second brain, or our gut, when making decisions in the workplace. Now That Our Brain is Primed for Learning, How Do We Make Our Memories or Learning Stick? We remember John Dunlosky focused on the importance of spaced repetition for memory formation on episode #37[xxi], (practicing a skill over and over again) and we know that memories aren’t reliable from episode #44[xxii] (that each time we recall something from our past, it changes) but what exactly is happening in the brain when we remember something? Neuroscientist Joseph LeDoux explains memory consolidation: “Consolidation is what happens when a memory persists. When you have a memory, it goes into short term memory and If for some reason the memory isn’t consolidated, long term memory doesn’t occur. The conversion of short-term memory to long term memory is called consolidation. This process involves that the neurons in the brain that are forming the memory undergo protein synthesis. These proteins basically glue the memory together. Reconsolidation occurs when the memory that is fully consolidated is reactivated or retrieved, has to go through another phase of protein synthesis in order for that memory to persist into the future. If you block protein synthesis after retrieval, you prevent that storage process and disrupt the memory. This is important because each time we retrieve a memory, we have to update it.”[xxiii] He simplifies this by saying—when we first meet someone, we have a memory of that experience.  When we meet that person again, we retrieve the first memory and whatever else we’ve learned about the person in the meantime are added to form the new memory. To not forget this memory, it has to be stored, and updated with what we remember from the past, with what we add to it in the present moment. It’s not like watching a video of exactly what occurred the first time, which is the old view of how our memory works. What really happens is that “every time you take a new memory out, you must put it back in and this forms a new memory.”[xxiv] Can We Forget Certain Memories? LeDoux explains it is possible for people who had had a traumatic experience that they would like to forget to be given a substance that would “block the protein synthesis and prevent memories from forming which is called Reconsolidation Blocking and it doesn’t erase the memory, but just dampens the impact of the memory so it’s less troubling or arousing or troubling when it’s remembered later.”[xxv] REVIEW OF THIS WEEK’S BRAIN FACT BRAIN FACT 1: Did you know that emotions help memories form and stick? This episode we went deep into where our emotions begin in our brain, with strategies to balance our brains using Brain Network Theory, in our classrooms and workplaces, so we can easily take in new information, and understand how we can retain it.  We know that “memories linked with strong emotions often become seared in the brain”[xxvi]  and we can even test this theory ourselves by thinking back to certain memories you might have in your life and see what you can remember about that event. What do you remember about September 11th, 2001? Do you remember anything about September 10th, 2001? I couldn’t tell you a thing about Sept. 10th. Not what I ate for breakfast that day, or even much about the house I was living in at the time. But the day after, for some reason, everything seems crystal clear to me. I can see the television that I turned on while getting ready to watch the planes crash into the twin towers, can remember the sun coming in the windows, and even the shade the sunlight made on the ground in front of the television. The rest of that day is pretty clear as well, proving that emotions really do make memories stick. I hope this episode has helped you to imagine our brains in a new light using Brain Network Theory, how we prime them for optimal learning, to ensure what we learn goes into our long-term memory, and then how to make these memories stick…if we want them to. See you next week. REFERENCES: [i] The Compass Teachers Podcast with Ti-Fen Pan from Taiwan https://compassteacher.com/ [ii] Neuroscience Meets SEL Podcast Episode #100 with Mary Helen Immordino-Yang https://andreasamadi.podbean.com/e/professor-mary-helen-immordino-yang-on-the-neuroscience-of-social-and-emotional-learning/ [iii] Mary Helen Immordino-Yang, EdD https://candle.usc.edu/people/ [iv] Mary Helen Immordino Yang Emotions, Learning and the Brain (November 16, 2015) https://www.amazon.com/Emotions-Learning-Brain-Implications-Neuroscience/dp/0393709817 [v] Mary-Helen Immordino-Yang “We Feel, Therefore We Learn” Published on YouTube April 16, 2012 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=85BZRVE6M0o&t=338s [vi] Mike Rousell, Ph.D.  The Power of Surprise: How Your Brain Secretly Changes Your Beliefs https://www.amazon.com/Power-Surprise-Secretly-Changes-Beliefs/dp/153815241X [vii] Jaak Panksepp The Science of Emotions TEDxRanier Published on YouTube Jan. 13, 2014  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=65e2qScV_K8 [viii] The Influences of Emotion on Learning and Memory Published August 24, 2017 Chai M Tyng, Hafeez U Amin, Mohammed N M Saad, Aamir S Malik  https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5573739/ [ix] What Makes Memories Stronger? https://qbi.uq.edu.au/brain-basics/memory/what-makes-memories-stronger [x] Neuroscience Meets Social and Emotional Learning Podcast EPISODE #48 with Andrea Samadi on “Brain Network Theory” https://andreasamadi.podbean.com/e/brain-network-theory-using-neuroscience-to-stay-productive-during-times-of-change-and-chaos/ [xi] A Delicate Balance Between Positive and Negative Emotion by Anne Trafton Oct. 17, 2016 https://bcs.mit.edu/news-events/news/delicate-balance-between-positive-and-negative-emotion [xii] Neuroscience Meets Social and Emotional Learning Podcast EPISODE #25 with Mick Neustadt on “Mindfulness and Meditation” https://andreasamadi.podbean.com/e/mindfulness-and-meditation-expert-mick-neustadt-on-how-meditation-and-mindfulness-changes-your-life-results-and-potential/ [xiii] What is box breathing? By Ana Gotter June 17, 2020 https://www.healthline.com/health/box-breathing [xiv] https://www.pinterest.co.uk/kath6490/amygdala-first-aid-station/ [xv] Neuroscience Meet Social and Emotional Learning Podcast EPISODES #16 and #56 https://andreasamadi.podbean.com/e/lori-desautels-and-michael-mcknight-on-the-future-of-educational-neuroscience-in-our-schools-and-communities/   https://andreasamadi.podbean.com/e/educational-neuroscience-pioneer-dr-lori-desautels-on-her-new-book-about-connections-over-compliance-rewiring-our-perceptions-of-discipline/ [xvi] Amygdala First Aid Station https://www.pinterest.co.uk/kath6490/amygdala-first-aid-station/ [xvii] Your Brain at Work by Adam Waytz and Malia Mason August 2013 https://hbr.org/2013/07/your-brain-at-work [xviii] Neurowisdom: The New Brain Science of Money, Happiness, and Success by Mark Robert Waldman and Chris Manning, Ph.D. (2017) https://www.amazon.com/NeuroWisdom-Brain-Science-Happiness-Success/dp/1682303055 [xix] Neuroscience Meets Social and Emotional Learning Podcast EPISODE #27 with Friederike Fabritius on “Achieving Peak Performance” https://andreasamadi.podbean.com/e/pioneer-in-the-field-of-neuroleadership-friederike-fabritius-on-the-recipe-for-achieving-peak-performance/ [xx] Gut Feelings-The “Second Brain” in our Gastrointestinal Systems by Justin and Erica Sonnenburg May 1, 2015 https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/gut-feelings-the-second-brain-in-our-gastrointestinal-systems-excerpt/ [xxi] Neuroscience Meets Social and Emotional Learning Podcast EPISODE #37 with Professor John Dunlosky https://andreasamadi.podbean.com/e/kent-states-dr-john-dunlosky-on-improving-student-success-some-principles-from-cognitive-science/ [xxii] Neuroscience Meets Social and Emotional Learning Podcast EPISODE #44 “12 Mind-Boggling Brain Discoveries” https://andreasamadi.podbean.com/e/andrea-samadis-12-mind-boggling-discoveries-about-the-brain/ [xxiii] What is Memory Consolidation and Reconsolidation? Joseph LeDoux Published on YouTube November 9, 2017 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JKiV3FNpXhk [xxiv] IBID [xxv] IBID [xxvi] Why Are Memories Attached to Emotions So Strong? July 13, 2020 https://neurosciencenews.com/emotion-memory-16631/

Link to bioRxiv paper: http://biorxiv.org/cgi/content/short/2020.10.25.354076v1?rss=1 Authors: Olguin, S. L., Patel, P., Dell Orco, M., Gardiner, A. S., Cole, R. D., Buchanan, C., Sundara, A., Mudge, J., Allan, A. M., Ortinski, P., Brigman, J. L., Twiss, J. L., Perrone-Bizzozero, N. Abstract: The KH-type splicing regulatory protein (KHSRP) is an RNA-binding protein linked to decay of AU-rich element containing mRNAs. We have previously shown that KHSRP destabilizes the mRNA encoding the growth-associated protein GAP-43 and decreases neurite growth in cultured embryonic neurons. In contrast, loss of KHSRP stabilizes Gap43 mRNA and increases neurite growth. Here, we have tested functions of neural KHSRP in vivo. We find upregulation of 1460 mRNAs in the neocortex of adult Khsrp-/- mice, of which 527 bind to KHSRP with high specificity. These KHSRP targets are involved in pathways for neuronal morphology, axon guidance, neurotransmission and long-term memory. Neocortical neurons show increased axon growth and dendritic spine density in Khsrp-/- mice. Analyses of neuronal cultures from embryonic Khsrp-/- mice point to a neuron-intrinsic alteration in axonal and dendritic growth and elevations in KHSRP-target mRNAs, including subcellularly localized mRNAs. Hippocampus and infralimbic cortex of Khsrp-/- mice show presynaptic elevations in neurotransmission. The Khsrp-/- mice have significant deficits in both trace conditioning and attention set-shifting tasks compared Khsrp+/+ mice, indicating impaired prefrontal- and hippocampal-dependent memory consolidation with loss of KHSRP. Overall, our results indicate that prenatal deletion of KHSRP impairs neuronal development resulting in alterations in neuronal morphology and function by changing post-transcriptional control of neuronal gene expression. Copy rights belong to original authors. Visit the link for more info

Link to bioRxiv paper: http://biorxiv.org/cgi/content/short/2020.09.04.283606v1?rss=1 Authors: Joechner, A.-K., Wehmeier, S., Werkle-Bergner, M. Abstract: In young adults, memory consolidation during sleep is supported by a time-coordinated interplay of sleep spindles and slow oscillations. However, given tremendous developmental changes in sleep spindle and slow oscillation morphology, it remains elusive whether the same mechanisms as identified in young adults are comparably functional across childhood. Here, we characterise slow and fast sleep spindles and their temporal coupling to slow oscillations in 24 pre-school children. Further, we ask whether slow and fast sleep spindles and their modulation during slow oscillations are similarly associated with behavioural indicators of declarative memory consolidation as suggested from adult literature. Employing a development-sensitive, individualised approach, we reliably identify an inherent, development-specific fast sleep spindle type, though nested in the adult-like slow sleep spindle frequency range, along with a dominant slow sleep spindle type. Further, we provide evidence for the modulation of fast sleep spindles during slow oscillations, already in pre-school children. However, the temporal coordination between fast sleep spindles and slow oscillations is weaker and less precise than expected from adult research. While we do not find evidence for a critical contribution of the pattern of fast sleep spindle modulation during slow oscillations for memory consolidation, crucially, both inherent slow and fast sleep spindles separately are differentially related to sleep-associated consolidation of items of varying quality. While a higher number of slow sleep spindles is associated with stronger maintenance of medium-quality memories, more fast sleep spindles are linked to higher gain of low-quality items. Our results provide evidence for two functionally relevant inherent sleep spindle types in pre-school children despite not fully matured sleep spindle - slow oscillation coupling. Copy rights belong to original authors. Visit the link for more info

Link to bioRxiv paper: http://biorxiv.org/cgi/content/short/2020.09.04.283002v1?rss=1 Authors: Zavecz, Z., Janacsek, K., Simor, P., Cohen, M. X., Nemeth, D. Abstract: Long-term memory depends on memory consolidation that seems to rely on learning-induced changes in the brain activity. Here, we introduced a novel approach analyzing continuous EEG data to study learning-induced changes as well as trait-like characteristics in brain activity underlying consolidation. Thirty-one healthy young adults performed a learning task and their performance was retested after a short (~1h) delay, that enabled us to investigate the consolidation of serial-order and probability information simultaneously. EEG was recorded during a pre- and post-learning rest period and during learning. To investigate the brain activity associated with consolidation performance, we quantified similarities in EEG functional connectivity of learning and pre-learning rest (baseline similarity) as well as learning and post-learning rest (post-learning similarity). While comparable patterns of these two could indicate trait-like similarities, changes in similarity from baseline to post-learning could indicate learning-induced changes, possibly spontaneous reactivation. Individuals with higher learning-induced changes in alpha frequency connectivity (8.5-9.5 Hz) showed better consolidation of serial-order information. This effect was stronger for more distant channels, highlighting the role of long-range centro-parietal networks underlying the consolidation of serial-order information. The consolidation of probability information was associated with learning-induced changes in delta frequency connectivity (2.5-3 Hz) and seemed to be dependent on more local, short-range connections. Beyond these associations with learning-induced changes, we also found substantial overlap between the baseline and post-learning similarity and their associations with consolidation performance, indicating that stable (trait-like) differences in functional connectivity networks may also be crucial for memory consolidation. Copy rights belong to original authors. Visit the link for more info

Link to bioRxiv paper: http://biorxiv.org/cgi/content/short/2020.08.20.259135v1?rss=1 Authors: Baltruschat, L. G., Ranft, P., Prisco, L., Lauritzen, J. S., Fiala, A., Bock, D., Tavosanis, G. Abstract: The capacity of utilizing past experience to guide future action is a fundamental and conserved function of the nervous system. Associative memory formation initiated by the coincident detection of a conditioned stimulus (CS, e.g. odour) and an unconditioned stimulus (US, e.g. sugar reward) can lead to a short-lived memory trace (STM) within distinct circuits. Memories can be consolidated into long-term memories (LTM) through processes that are not fully understood, but depend on de-novo protein synthesis, require structural modifications within the involved neuronal circuits and might lead to the recruitment of additional ones. Compared to modulation of existing connections, the reorganization of circuits affords the unique possibility of sampling for potential new partners. Nonetheless, only few examples of rewiring associated with learning have been established thus far. Here, we report that memory consolidation is associated with the structural and functional reorganization of an identified circuit in the adult fly brain. The formation and retrieval of olfactory associative memories in Drosophila requires the mushroom body (MB). We identified the individual synapses of olfactory projection neurons (PNs) that deliver a conditioned odour to the MB and reconstructed the complexity of the microcircuit they form. Combining behavioural experiments with high-resolution microscopy and functional imaging, we demonstrated that the consolidation of appetitive olfactory memories closely correlates with an increase in the number of synaptic complexes formed by the PNs that deliver the conditioned stimulus and their postsynaptic partners. These structural changes result in additional functional synaptic connections. Copy rights belong to original authors. Visit the link for more info

Link to bioRxiv paper: http://biorxiv.org/cgi/content/short/2020.08.02.233080v1?rss=1 Authors: Delorme, J., Kuhn, F. R., Wang, L., Kodoth, V., Ma, J., Jiang, S., Aton, S. Abstract: Sleep loss profoundly disrupts consolidation of hippocampus-dependent memory. To better characterize effects of learning and sleep loss on the hippocampal circuit, we quantified activity-dependent phosphorylation of ribosomal subunit S6 (pS6) across the dorsal hippocampus of mice. We find that pS6 in enhanced in the dentate gyrus (DG) following single-trial contextual fear conditioning (CFC), but is reduced throughout the hippocampus after brief sleep deprivation (SD), a manipulation which disrupts contextual fear memory (CFM) consolidation. To characterize cell populations with activity affected by SD, we used translating ribosome affinity purification (TRAP)-seq to identify cell type-specific transcripts on pS6 ribosomes after SD vs. sleep. Cell type-specific enrichment analysis (CSEA) of these transcripts revealed that hippocampal somatostatin-expressing (Sst+) interneurons, and cholinergic and orexinergic inputs to hippocampus, are selectively activated after SD. We used TRAP targeted to hippocampal Sst+ interneurons to identify cellular mechanisms mediating SD-driven Sst+ interneuron activation. We next used pharmacogenetics to mimic the effects of SD, selectively activating hippocampal Sst+ interneurons while mice slept in the hours following CFC. We find that activation of Sst+ interneurons is sufficient to disrupt CFM consolidation, by gating activity in surrounding pyramidal neurons. Pharmacogenetic inhibition of cholinergic input to hippocampus from the medial septum (MS) promoted CFM consolidation and disinhibited neurons in the DG, increasing pS6 expression. This suggests that state-dependent gating of DG activity is mediated by cholinergic input during SD. Together these data provide evidence for an inhibitory gate on hippocampal information processing, which is activated by sleep loss. Copy rights belong to original authors. Visit the link for more info

Link to bioRxiv paper: http://biorxiv.org/cgi/content/short/2020.06.08.140350v1?rss=1 Authors: Denis, D., Kim, S. Y., Kark, S. M., Daley, R. T., Kensinger, E. A., Payne, J. D. Abstract: Sleep and stress have both been shown to enhance emotional memory consolidation. They also interact, with the largest benefit of sleep on emotional memory being seen when stress occurs either shortly before or after memory encoding. Slow wave sleep (SWS) is believed to be critical for episodic memory consolidation, facilitated by the coupling of slow oscillations and sleep spindles. However, prior work in humans has only demonstrated slow oscillation-spindle coupling to be associated with consolidation of neutral information in non-stressed participants. Whether coupling interacts with stress to facilitate emotional memory consolidation is unknown. To address this exploratory question, we reanalyzed an existing dataset of N=64 individuals. Participants underwent a psychosocial stressor (n=32) or comparable control (n=32) prior to the encoding of 150 line drawings of neutral, positive, and negative images. All participants then slept overnight with polysomnographic recordings. The next day, they were given a surprise memory test. In the stress group, percentage of time spent in SWS was positively correlated with memory for images of all valences (all r>.35, p.65, p

Link to bioRxiv paper: http://biorxiv.org/cgi/content/short/2020.06.05.135905v1?rss=1 Authors: Yang, W., Chini, M., Poepplau, J. A., Formozov, A., Piechocinski, P., Rais, C., Morellini, F., Sporns, O., Hanganu-Opatz, I. L., Wiegert, J. S. Abstract: General anesthesia is characterized by reversible loss of consciousness accompanied by transient amnesia. Yet, long-term memory impairment is an undesirable side-effect. How different types of general anesthetics (GAs) affect the hippocampus, a brain region central to memory formation and consolidation, is poorly understood. Using extracellular recordings, chronic 2-photon imaging and behavioral analysis, we monitor the effects of isoflurane (Iso), medetomidine/midazolam/fentanyl (MMF), and ketamine/xylazine (Keta/Xyl) on network activity and structural spine dynamics in the hippocampal CA1 area of adult mice. GAs robustly reduced spiking activity, decorrelated cellular ensembles, albeit with distinct activity signatures, and altered spine dynamics. Iso anesthesia most closely resembled wakefulness, and network alterations recovered more readily than with Keta/Xyl and MMF. Correspondingly, memory consolidation was impaired after exposure to Keta/Xyl and MMF, but not Iso. Thus, different anesthetics distinctly alter hippocampal network dynamics, synaptic connectivity, and memory consolidation, with implications for GA strategy appraisal in animal research and clinical settings. Copy rights belong to original authors. Visit the link for more info

Learn about breakthrough research into what our brains do while we sleep; how plants fight back when they hear they’re being eaten; and why the Y2K bug is actually what a well-handled crisis looks like afterward. This is the first direct evidence that our brains replay waking experiences while we sleep by Cameron Duke Eichenlaub, J.-B., Jarosiewicz, B., Saab, J., Franco, B., Kelemen, J., Halgren, E., Hochberg, L. R., & Cash, S. S. (2020). Replay of Learned Neural Firing Sequences during Rest in Human Motor Cortex. Cell Reports, 31(5), 107581. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.celrep.2020.107581 Evidence that human brains replay our waking experiences while we sleep. (2020). ScienceDaily. https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/05/200505121711.htm  Memory Consolidation - an overview | ScienceDirect Topics. (2012). Sciencedirect.com. https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/neuroscience/memory-consolidation Plants Can Hear When They're Being Eaten — and They Fight Back by Ashley Hamer The Arabidopsis Information Resource - About Arabidopsis. (2010). Arabidopsis.org. https://www.arabidopsis.org/portals/education/aboutarabidopsis.jsp  Pollan, M. (2013, December 15). The Intelligent Plant. The New Yorker; The New Yorker. https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2013/12/23/the-intelligent-plant  ‌Appel, H. M., & Cocroft, R. B. (2014). Plants respond to leaf vibrations caused by insect herbivore chewing. Oecologia, 175(4), 1257–1266. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00442-014-2995-6  The Y2K bug is what a well-handled crisis looks like afterward by Kelsey Donk Uenuma, F. (2019, December 30). 20 Years Later, the Y2K Bug Seems Like a Joke—Because Those Behind the Scenes Took It Seriously. Time; Time. https://time.com/5752129/y2k-bug-history/  ‌Farhad Manjoo. (2009, November 11). Was Y2K a Waste? Slate Magazine; Slate. https://slate.com/technology/2009/11/was-y2k-a-waste.html  Subscribe to Curiosity Daily to learn something new every day with Cody Gough and Ashley Hamer. You can also listen to our podcast as part of your Alexa Flash Briefing; Amazon smart speakers users, click/tap “enable” here: https://www.amazon.com/Curiosity-com-Curiosity-Daily-from/dp/B07CP17DJY

Link to bioRxiv paper: http://biorxiv.org/cgi/content/short/2020.05.22.103481v1?rss=1 Authors: Bruzsik, B., Biro, L., Zelena, D., Sipos, E., Szebik, H., Sarosdi, K. R., Horvath, O., Farkas, I., Csillag, V., Finszter, C. K., Mikics, E., Toth, M. Abstract: Excessive fear learning and extinction-resistant fear memories are core symptoms of anxiety and trauma-related disorders. Despite significant evidence from clinical studies reporting hyperactivity of the bed nucleus of stria terminalis (BNST) under these conditions, the role of BNST in fear learning and expression is still not clarified. Here, we tested how BNST modulates fear learning in mice using a chemogenetic approach. Activation of GABAergic neurons of BNST during fear acquisition, more specifically the consolidation phase, resulted in enhanced cued fear recall. Importantly, BNST activation had no acute impact on fear expression during conditioning or recalls, but it enhanced cued fear recall subsequently, potentially via altered activity of downstream regions as indicated by c-Fos. Enhanced fear memory consolidation could be replicated by selectively activating somatostatin neurons (but not corticotropin releasing factor neurons), suggesting significant modulation of fear memory strength by specific circuits of BNST. Copy rights belong to original authors. Visit the link for more info

Link to bioRxiv paper: http://biorxiv.org/cgi/content/short/2020.05.25.114850v1?rss=1 Authors: Roshchupkina, L., Stee, W., Peigneux, P. Abstract: The consolidation of motor memory is a non-linear temporal dynamic. There are critical time points at which post-training performance can improve (e.g., 30 min and 24 h) or merely stabilize (e.g., 4 h). Besides, neuronal plasticity is supported by synchronized oscillatory activity in and between brain areas at play during the acquisition and consolidation of motor skills. Transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS) can entrain cortical oscillatory activity, which may eventually modulate brain plasticity-related processes. Previous reports suggest that 20 Hz electrical stimulation over the primary motor cortex (M1) following training facilitates the consolidation of motor memories. To the best of our knowledge, the effect of tACS was not investigated when applied at critical post-training time points, nor its impact at longer time scales. In the present study, we investigated the effect of 20 Hz tACS applied over M1 within critical time periods (25min vs. 4h) on motor memory consolidation at immediate and delayed (24h) retrieval. Performance similarly evolved over time in all conditions, independently from the stimulation type (20 Hz tACS vs. Sham tACS) or the stimulation time point. As it stands, our results do not support the proposal that 20 Hz tACS exerts a positive, specific effect on the consolidation of motor memories. Copy rights belong to original authors. Visit the link for more info

Link to bioRxiv paper: http://biorxiv.org/cgi/content/short/2020.05.15.097394v1?rss=1 Authors: Wanner, P., Winterholler, M., Gassner, H., Winkler, J., Klucken, J., Pfeifer, K., Steib, S. Abstract: Acute cardiovascular exercise has shown to promote neuroplastic processes, and thus to improve the consolidation of newly acquired motor skills in healthy adults. First results suggest that this concept may be transferred to populations with motor and cognitive dysfunctions. In this context, Parkinson's disease (PD) is highly relevant since patients demonstrate deficits in motor learning. Hence, in the present study we sought to explore the effect of a single post-practice exercise bout on motor memory consolidation in PD patients. For this purpose, 17 PD patients (Hoehn and Yahr: 1 - 2.5, age: 60.1 +/- 7.9 y) practiced a whole-body task followed by either (i) a moderate-intense bout of cycling, or (ii) seated rest for a total of 30 minutes. The motor task required the participants to balance on a tiltable platform (stabilometer) for 30 seconds. During skill practice, patients performed 15 trials followed by a retention test 1 day and 7 days later. We calculated time in balance (platform within +/- 5 degree from horizontal) for each trial and within- and between-group differences in memory consolidation (i.e. offline learning = skill change from last acquisition block to retention tests) were analyzed. Groups revealed similar improvements during skill practice (F4,60 = .316, p = .866), but showed differences in offline learning, which was only evident after 7 days (F1,14 = 5.602, p = .033). Our results suggest that a single post-practice exercise bout is effective in enhancing long-term motor memory consolidation in a population with motor learning impairments. This may point at unique promoting effects of exercise on dopamine neurotransmission involved in memory formation. Future studies should investigate the potential role of exercise-induced effects on the dopaminergic system. Copy rights belong to original authors. Visit the link for more info

Link to bioRxiv paper: http://biorxiv.org/cgi/content/short/2020.05.08.084053v1?rss=1 Authors: Luboeinski, J., Tetzlaff, C. Abstract: The synaptic-tagging-and-capture (STC) hypothesis formulates that at each synapse the concurrence of a tag with protein synthesis yields the maintenance of changes induced by synaptic plasticity. This hypothesis provides a biological principle underlying the synaptic consolidation of memories that is not verified for recurrent neural circuits. We developed a theoretical model integrating the mechanisms underlying the STC hypothesis with calcium-based synaptic plasticity in a recurrent spiking neural network. In the model, calcium-based synaptic plasticity yields the formation of strongly interconnected cell assemblies encoding memories, followed by consolidation through the STC mechanisms. Furthermore, we find that the STC mechanisms have an up to now undiscovered effect on memories - with the passage of time they modify the storage of memories, such that after several hours memory recall is significantly improved. This kind of memory enhancement can provide a new principle for storing information in biological and artificial neural circuits. Copy rights belong to original authors. Visit the link for more info

Dr. Shae Datta is a neurologist and Director of Concussion and Neurocognition in New York. She also serves as the Chief Executive Officer at Residency Success. Dr. Datta has researched numerous subjects in the area of brain trauma, including the gut/brain link and study success through brain health. Residency Success is a platform to help students with the application and interview processes to ensure success and build habits that will stay with you throughout your career. Today’s episode will cover how to improve your brain health and preparatory habits to improve memory. 3:10 What is Residency Success and How Did it Come to Be? 4:10 Overview of Topics to be Covered 5:35 The Anatomy of the Brain in Relation to Memory 6:00 The Mind and Body Connection 6:35 The Detriments of Multi-tasking 7:47 Meditation to Improve Memory and Attention 11:40 Healthy Food Habits and Optimum Nutrition 14:40 Eating the Rainbow 16:45 Caffeine Consumption: The Benefits and Knowing When to Stop 19:45 Exercise and Neuroplasticity 23:10 The Role of Light Exposure in Chemical Balancing 24:15 Memory Consolidation and Sleep 25:00 Sleep Hygiene 26:30 Creating Memories: The Three Stages of Memory Formation 27:40 The Use of Memory Evoking Scent for Consolidation 30:35 Eliminating ‘Junk Light’ 32:36 How Residency Success Can Benefit You 32:30 Scheduling Tips Resources Residency Success can be found here: Residency Success You can also contact Dr. Datta by email here: residencysucess2000@gmail.com or by calling: (917) 524-8067 Apps for meditation: 10% Happier, Headspace Don’t forget to sign up for our online education summit at: FreeMedEd.org/omes Tickets are free! Join the Medical Mnemonist Master Mind Facebook group and find our Blog posts, Podcasts, and other Resources at FreeMedEd.org! Feel free to Email any Questions or Comments.

Link to bioRxiv paper: http://biorxiv.org/cgi/content/short/2020.04.30.070466v1?rss=1 Authors: Clawson, B., Pickup, E., Ensing, A., Geneseo, L., Shaver, J., Gonzalez-Amoretti, J., Zhao, M., York, A. K., Jiang, S., Aton, S. Abstract: Learning-activated engram neurons play a critical role in memory recall. An untested hypothesis is that these same neurons play an instructive role in offline memory consolidation. Here we show that a visually-cued fear memory is consolidated during post-conditioning sleep in mice. We then use TRAP (targeted recombination in active populations) to genetically label or optogenetically manipulate primary visual cortex (V1) neurons responsive to the visual cue . Following fear conditioning, mice respond to activation of this visual engram population in a manner similar to visual presentation of fear cues. Cue-responsive neurons are selectively reactivated in V1 during post-conditioning sleep. Mimicking visual engram reactivation optogenetically leads to increased representation of the visual cue in V1. Optogenetic inhibition of the engram population during post-conditioning sleep disrupts consolidation of fear memory. We conclude that selective sleep-associated reactivation of learning-activated sensory populations serves as a necessary instructive mechanism for memory consolidation. Copy rights belong to original authors. Visit the link for more info

In part 1 of this 3 part series, Matthew Walker, professor of neuroscience at UC Berkeley and expert on sleep, describes the different stages and cycles of sleep, including what he calls the 4 pillars of sleep, and how they contribute to memory consolidation and numerous important pathways to mental health. We also get into the dangers of chronic sleep deprivation, such as the development of dementia, and the more acute dangers of sleep deprivation like fatal car crashes which are most often caused by drowsy driving. We also discuss the different and important roles of REM vs. non-REM sleep, and the impact that bad sleep habits can have specifically on those sleep stages.    We discuss: Matthew’s background and interest in sleep [6:03]; Sleep and Alzheimer’s disease, and the 4 pillars of sleep [12:18]; Stages of sleep, sleep cycles, and brain waves [41:18]; Memory and sleep, and the risk of insufficient REM sleep [55:48]; Evolutionary reasons to sleep [1:02:03]; The early riser vs. the night owl, and tips for overcoming jet lag [1:10:18]; Is there one type or stage of sleep that is most important? [1:17:33]; The dangers of drowsy driving [1:28:48]; The timeliness of Matthew’s book, and how the conversation of sleep has changed over the past several years [1:35:18]; and More. Learn more at www.PeterAttiaMD.com Connect with Peter on Facebook | Twitter | Instagram.

Memory Consolidation and Reconsolidation

IDA podcast sætter denne gang spotlight på søvn og på søvnforskningen anno 2017. For hvorfor er det, at vi bliver søvnige? Evolutionen tvinger os mennesker til at sove en tredjedel af vores liv - liggende horisontalt og paralyserede. Og det er der gode grunde til. I episoden undersøger vi søvnstadier, drømme, hjernens rensemekanismer og fremtidens søvnteknologier. Vi tager dig også med ned på et taktisk niveau og stiller spørgsmålet: Hvad kan man gøre for at sove bedre? Og er det muligt at optimere sin søvn? Medvirkende: Poul Jennum, professor i klinisk neurofysiologi med særlig interesse for søvnmedicin. Speciallæge i klinisk neurofysiologi og i neurologi. Overlæge og leder af Dansk Center for Søvnmedicin, Glostrup Hospital/Rigshospitalet. http://bit.ly/2n8LqGT Torben Jager Petersen er adfærdsmedicinsk søvnspecialist og autoriseret psykolog med speciale i kognitiv adfærdsterapi. Torben leder ScanSleep. http://bit.ly/2nDMrtG Birgitte Rahbek Kornum er seniorforsker på Molecular Sleep Laboratory på Rigshospitalet i Glostrup. http://bit.ly/2nmbSNY Podcasten er produceret af IDA i samarbejde med Brain Gain Group. Producer: Tobias Ankjær Jeppesen Vært og tilrettelæggelse: Matias Seidler Lyddesign: Alexander Clerici SHOW NOTES [02:34] “Naboerne larmer, børnene vækker én hver nat, man er midt i en skilsmisse, har haft for meget at lave på arbejdet osv. Men det er ikke disse problemer, det drejer sig om – jeg kalder dem ’det levede livs søvnforstyrrelser’.” Læs resten af Torben Jager Petersens indlæg her: http://bit.ly/2om9WUY [03:56] Søvn kan anskues som hjernens vaskeprogram, viser ny dansk forskning som Maiken Nedergaard står i spidsen for. Se bl.a. denne artikel på Ingeniøren.dk: http://bit.ly/2nYrCdo [04:52] Se dette interaktive kort over hjernens anatomi: http://bit.ly/2n8DsgR [06:20] Poul Jennums egen forskning, se artiklen ‘The sensory construction of dreams and nightmare frequency in congenitally blind and late blind individuals’: http://bit.ly/2mGEwfH [07:06] Se Sleep and the Price of Plasticity: From Synaptic and Cellular Homeostasis to Memory Consolidation and Integration: http://bit.ly/2nmbX4w [08:43] Birgitte Rahbek Kornum siger at forsøg på kun at sove i 20 min. ‘naps’ fordelt nogenlunde jævnt over døgnet ikke virker. Det siger Poul Jennum og Torben Jager Petersen også. MEN, skulle du alligevel være nysgerrig findes, der et stort fællesskab, som prøver kræfter med det. Det hedder Polyphasic Society: http://bit.ly/2nVH0qk [10:41] Se denne artikel på The Guardian for en let gennemgang af søvnforskningens historie: http://bit.ly/2ommJXA [11:56] Medical wearable devices, se dette review, ‘5 Ways for Sleep Tracking: A Week-Long Experiment With Apps And Sensors’: http://bit.ly/2nDIlS6 [16:00] Se også ‘Hjernen bliver vasket mens vi sover’, artikel i Information: http://bit.ly/2nDErsu [18:43] I marts 2017 sagde den amerikanske kongres, at NASA skal sende mennesker til Mars inden 2033: http://bit.ly/2mGwp2U [21:23] Personaliseret og intelligent belysning. Det er der mange firmaer der arbejder på, heriblandt danske Lighten, hvis hjemmeside giver et godt indblik i applikationerne: http://bit.ly/2n7TS8m [23:29] Vi forestiller os vægge tapeseret med OLED skærme. Og det er ikke så svært, LGs nye OLED-fjernsyn har fx en tykkelse på 2,7 mm: http://bit.ly/2nVSeLy [27:05] Ingeniørforeningen IDA har et glimrende webinar som hedder ‘Søvnkuren - til dig der er træt af at sove dårligt’. Det varer ca. en time og indeholder en masse materiale. Find det her: http://bit.ly/2nW9110

#MemoryCondition In this concluding episode I discuss ways to minimize interference for better memory retention, along with the importance of fostering a healthy memory consolidation process. Retrieval strategies build on the previous discussions about visual memory, mindful encoding and retention. Look Closer: Theories of Forgetting MEMORY CONSOLIDATION Sleep, dreams, and memory consolidation: The role of the stress hormone cortisol Memory and Sleep - The Basics Sleep-Dependent Learning and Memory Consolidation A list of reliable online memory assessments: University of Washington Short-Term Memory Test MemTrax Memory Test Psychology Today Memory Test Rutgers University Memory Self-Tests (verbal and Visual) Ohio State University Self-Administered Gerocognitive Examination (SAGE) You can use this comprehensive assessment from Douglas Herrmann's book Super Memory. Bumper Music: REMINISCING - The Little River Band Please Support School Sucks Our Amazon Wish List Donate With Bitcoin Or Join the A/V Club Your continued support keeps the show going and growing, which keeps us at the top of the options for education podcasts and leads to new people discovering this message. This subscription also grants you access to the A/V Club, a bonus content section with 200+ hours of exclusive audio and video. If you are a regular consumer of our media, please consider making a monthly commitment by selecting the best option for you... A/V Club - Basic Access - $8.00/Month AP Club - "Advanced" Access - $12.00/Month Sigma Sigma Pi - Full Access - $16.00/Month

No. And there's a few problems with that question. Recorded live 5-16-13 with Osborne and Andre (NotesForRobots.com). Topic: Our discussion grows out of a video called Why Our Brains Get Addicted to the Internet (and How to Avoid It). We spend the live portion of the podcast evaluating our issues with and strategies for focusing while working online. Brett's Introduction: (START - 18:21) When ADHD has Nowhere to Hide - http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/culturally-speaking/201305/when-adhd-has-nowhere-hide Why French Kids Don't Have ADHD - http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/suffer-the-children/201203/why-french-kids-dont-have-adhd INVENTOR OF ADHD'S DEATHBED CONFESSION: "ADHD IS A FICTITIOUS DISEASE" - http://www.worldpublicunion.org/2013-03-27-NEWS-inventor-of-adhd-says-adhd-is-a-fictitious-disease.html Live Portion: (18:21 - 73:29) MEMORY CONSOLIDATION - http://www.human-memory.net/processes_consolidation.html Self-regulated Learning - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Self-regulated_learning SSRI Stories - http://ssristories.com/ Carb Nite! - http://carbnite.com/ Non-Live Addition: (73:29 - END) How to Rebuild Your Attention Span and Focus - http://lifehacker.com/5596964/how-to-rebuild-your-attention-span-and-focusl

Sleep plays a crucial role in better memory. Christie Nicholson reports

Sleep enhances memory consolidation. Bearing in mind that food intake produces many metabolic signals that can influence memory processing in humans (e.g., insulin), the present study addressed the question as to whether the enhancing effect of sleep on memory consolidation is affected by the amount of energy consumed during the preceding daytime. Compared to sleep, nocturnal wakefulness has been shown to impair memory consolidation in humans. Thus, a second question was to examine whether the impaired memory consolidation associated with sleep deprivation (SD) could be compensated by increased daytime energy consumption. To these aims, 14 healthy normal-weight men learned a finger tapping sequence (procedural memory) and a list of semantically associated word pairs (declarative memory). After the learning period, standardized meals were administered, equaling either ∼50% or ∼150% of the estimated daily energy expenditure. In the morning, after sleep or wakefulness, memory consolidation was tested. Plasma glucose was measured both before learning and retrieval. Polysomnographic sleep recordings were performed by electroencephalography (EEG). Independent of energy intake, subjects recalled significantly more word pairs after sleep than they did after SD. When subjects stayed awake and received an energy oversupply, the number of correctly recalled finger sequences was equal to those seen after sleep. Plasma glucose did not differ among conditions, and sleep time in the sleep conditions was not influenced by the energy intake interventions. These data indicate that the daytime energy intake level affects neither sleep's capacity to boost the consolidation of declarative and procedural memories, nor sleep's quality. However, high energy intake was followed by an improved procedural but not declarative memory consolidation under conditions of SD. This suggests that the formation of procedural memory is not only triggered by sleep but is also sensitive to the fluctuations in the energy state of the body.