Autonomic Mechanisms of Sleep-dependent Memory Consolidation
Stopped early · Not applicable · Has a placebo group
Conditions studied: Memory, Sleep
In brief
The goal of the proposed project is to identify the impact vagal activity during sleep for memory formation. Nearly 100 years of research contends that sleep plays a critical role in memory consolidation (i.e. the transformation of recent experiences into stable, long-term memories), yet much of this literature has focused on the central nervous system and technologies like electroencephalography (EEG) to unpack neural correlates involved in memory processing. Sleep is also a unique period of autonomic variation and an expansive literature has indicated the critical importance of the autonomic nervous system for memory formation. This project would be amongst the first to examine the autonomic nervous system during sleep as a critical, causal pathway linking sleep to memory processing. The investigators will assess the impact of non-invasive, transcutaneous vagal nerve stimulation on sleep and post-sleep memory performance. Autonomic physiology, including electrocardiography and impedance cardiography, will be gathered at baseline, before the memory task and continuously during sleep to examine vagal tone (i.e. heart rate variability) and sympathetic activation (i.e. pre-ejection period) in response to both active and sham stimulation conditions. Polysomnography will also be gathered during the nap to examine sleep architecture. The proposed research will address a critical gap in the literature by: 1) examining the causal role of the ANS for memory functioning in humans, 2) extending the current understanding of sleep's impact on memory processing, and 3) set the groundwork for novel, sleep-based interventions with the goal of improving cognitive health.
Key facts
- Study ID
- NCT04021797
- Run by
- University of California, San Francisco
- People needed
- 12
- Starts
- 2019-10-15
- Expected to finish
- 2020-03-15
- Last updated by the study team
- 2021-05-28
Who can join
Age: 18 and older, up to 64. Sex: any. Healthy volunteers: accepted.
You may qualify if…
- Healthy, adult volunteers between the ages of 18-64.
- English speaking
- Self-reported napping
You may not qualify if…
- Aged greater than 64 years
- Lack of adherence to sleep/wake schedule of at least 7 hours a night for 5-days prior to study and during study timeline.
- Body mass index of 35 or above
- Presence of any clinical sleep disorder, including insomnia and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA)
- Presence of medical or psychiatric condition that is likely to affect sleep/wake function or cardiovascular functioning, including doctor diagnosed arrhythmia, bradycardia, hypertension, congestive heart failure, major depression, bipolar disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder.
- Medication use that is likely to affect sleep/wake function or cardiovascular functioning, including antidepressants, anxiolytic or soporific medication, and beta-blockers.
- Pregnancy
- Epilepsy
- head trauma
- alcoholism
- migraines
- metal pieces in the body (may confound tVNS delivery)
- history of substance abuse
Where it is running
- Langley Porter Psychiatric Institute — San Francisco, California, United States
Full record on ClinicalTrials.gov
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