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Making Memories While You Sleep

Researchers have long known that the brain produces specific rhythms during sleep, and that different parts of the brain produce different rhythms. We also know that sleep is important for memory. In a recent study published in Nature Communications, UC San Diego School of Medicine researchers bridged the gap between these two schools of research — investigating how the timing of sleeping brain rhythms may influence memory storage.

The research team was led by Eric Halgren, PhD, professor of neurosciences, psychiatry and radiology, and Rachel Mak-McCully, PhD, who was a graduate student in Halgren’s lab at the time of the study. They recorded sleeping rhythms from two regions of the brain — cortex and thalamus — in three people with epilepsy who had electrodes implanted in their brains as part of their treatment.

The thalamus is a relay station for all senses except smell. This part of the brain is considered the “pacemaker” of the sleep spindle, intermittent clusters of brain waves that group cortical activity and strengthen the connections between cortical neurons that form memories. The cortex is where memories are stored permanently, and it’s known to generate slow waves during sleep.

The researchers found how the cortex and thalamus work together to time slow waves and spindles in a sequence that may optimize memory formation.

“During sleep, we usually think of the thalamus as having one conversation while the cortex is having another,” Mak-McCully said. “But what we found is they are actually having a discussion that’s important for memory retention.”

The information the team collected on rhythm timing and coordination between these two areas is important because it allows them to begin thinking about how altering those rhythms could change memory storage. The ultimate goal, Mak-McCully said, is to find ways to manipulate these sleeping brain rhythms as a means to improve, or at least maintain, memory as we age.

“It’s not just that we need more of these rhythms, we need to know when they do what they do, and for how long,” she said.

Pictured: Cartoon of the communication loop described in this study: 1) downstates in the cortex lead to 2) downstates in the thalamus, which produces a spindle that 3) is sent back to the cortex.

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Different Sex Drive Than Your Partner? Here’s How to Manage it

You mustn’t force sex to do the work of love or love to do the work of sex.—Mary Mcarthy

Sex is a topic people get all funny talking about. For many it is awkward and uncomfortable, for some it is embarrassing, and for others, it is soul-baring and they are left feeling exposed.

Regardless of how it makes you feel to talk about it, there is one thing we all have in common regarding sex, we all do it. Of course, just like every rule, there are exceptions and we’ll save those for another time. Right now, let’s discuss the human sex drive.

A Little Sex. A Lot of Sex. What is Normal?

First, it is important to understand that having a healthy sex life is a basic human need. Not everyone has the same level of desire for sex, and that is perfectly normal. Some people do not have a sex drive at all. They are hypersexual.

Your sex drive may be low and interest in sex isn’t high on your list of priorities whereas mine may rank right up there with breathing. Neither of these is a problem by themselves. The problem comes into play when…..

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Psych2go features various psychological findings and myths. In the future, psych2go attempts to include sources to posts for the for the purpose of generating discussions and commentaries. This will give readers a chance to critically examine psychology.

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