Scientists find out why deep sleep can improve memory

Franz Xaver Mittermeier, a researcher at the Institute of Neurophysiology at Berlin's Charité University, is the first author of a new study published in the journal Nature Communications that explains how deep sleep - also known as slow-wave sleep - contributes to the formation of memories in the brain.

For this study, Mittermeier and his team used samples of intact neocortex tissue - part of the cerebral cortex - taken from 45 study participants.

“The neocortex is the outermost part of the brain. Whenever we see an image of the brain, we're looking at the neocortex - the walnut-shaped surface. It is a structure containing 16 billion neurons (electrically active brain cells). The neocortex is significantly enlarged in humans and plays a central role in the development of the cognitive abilities that make us human: language, imagination, memory, emotion, etc.,” the scientist explained.

During the study, the scientists found that slow electrical waves generated in the brain during deep sleep help strengthen synaptic connections between neurons in the neocortex, making it more “receptive” to forming memories.

“During deep slow-wave sleep, when sensory input from the outside world ceases, the neocortex exhibits a very interesting activity consisting of Up and Down(up and down) states that alternate about once a second,” the scientist explained.

According to him, these states arise as a result of synchronized changes in the electrical voltage of many thousands of neurons in the neocortex.

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