A postsleep decline in auditory evoked potential amplitude reflects sleep homeostasis

作者：Hulse Brad K; Landsness Eric C; Sarasso Simone; Ferrarelli Fabio; Guokas Jeffrey J; Wanger Tim; Tononi Giulio^*

来源：Clinical Neurophysiology, 2011, 122(8): 1549-1555.

DOI：10.1016/j.clinph.2011.01.041

• Auditory evoked potentials
• Sleep homeostasis
• Synaptic plasticity
• Slow wave sleep
• N1 and P2
• Electroencephalogram

Objective: It has been hypothesized that slow wave activity, a well established measure of sleep homeostasis that increases after waking and decreases after sleep, may reflect changes in cortical synaptic strength. If so, the amplitude of sensory evoked responses should also vary as a function of time awake and asleep in a way that reflects sleep homeostasis.
Methods: Using 256-channel, high-density electroencephalography (EEG) in 12 subjects, auditory evoked potentials (AEP) and spontaneous waking data were collected during wakefulness before and after sleep.
Results: The amplitudes of the N1 and P2 waves of the AEP were reduced after a night of sleep. In addition, the decline in N1 amplitude correlated with low-frequency EEG power during non-rapid eye movement sleep and spontaneous wakefulness, both homeostatically regulated measures of sleep need.
Conclusions: The decline in AEP amplitude after a night of sleep may reflect a homeostatic reduction in synaptic strength. Significance: These findings provide further evidence for a connection between synaptic plasticity and sleep homeostasis.

• 出版日期2011-8