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Center for Neural Systems Restoration
Center for Neural Systems Restoration
In the spirit of collaboration, Houston Methodist and Rice University joined forces with the opening of the Center for Neural Systems Restoration (CSNR), which is aimed at discovering how the human brain processes perception, cognition and behavior to find novel solutions for brain and spinal cord diseases and injuries. The center serves as an incubator for advancing the frontiers of translational neuroscience—understanding the function of the human brain and developing next-generation technologies, neural prosthetics and rehabilitation regimens for the treatment of neurological conditions.
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Napping for The Win: Why Short Periods of Sleep Improve Behavioral Performance
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Nappers rejoice! People who take short naps during the day—typically associated with non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep—demonstrate the benefits of even short periods of sleep with improved learning, memory, and perceptual performance. This idea that sleep improves cognitive function has been around for a century, but the underlying neural mechanisms have remained elusive.
To further interrogate the underlying neural mechanisms of the cognitive benefits of sleep, Valentin Dragoi, PhD, Rosemary and Daniel J. Harrison III Presidential Distinguished Chair in Neuroprosthetics, and team used multiple-electrode recordings in areas of the cortex involved in task-related activity to examine the dynamics and information coding in neural populations before, during and after sleep, and their impact on behavioral performance.
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Valentin Dragoi, PhD
In a recent study published in Science, Dragoi’s team used multi-electrode intracranial arrays positioned on the head to examine the spiking activity of 4422 neurons recorded across three cortical areas. To define epochs of NREM sleep, the team utilized automated sleep recognition software incorporating all components of polysomnography, including electroencephalogram, electrooculography, and electromyography.
Evidence shows that brief naps can consolidate memory and improve behavioral and perceptual performance. The team also focused on studying the effects of short sleep periods (30 minutes of rest). They learned increased delta power (2-4 Hz) during slow wave sleep was accompanied by increased synchronized firing in neural population activity in each brain area recorded. Surprisingly, delta-band synchrony in population activity during sleep further caused a desynchronization of neural responses and improvement in perceptual performance during subsequent cognitive tasks.
This could be a mechanism by which the brain maintains stability of population activity after sleep-induced synchronized neural responses. Our results provide proof of concept for stimulation procedures to improve perceptual performance in the absence of sleep and may set the stage for future neuromodulation in humans.
Valentin Dragoi, PhD
Hypothesizing that the beneficial effects of sleep could be reproduced in their model by electrically stimulating neural populations in the delta-frequency band, they conducted blocks of stimulation for 20 to 30 minutes by generating synchronous electrical pulses in the delta frequency band on eight channels of the electrode array. Remarkably, electrical stimulation of the visual cortex during quiet wakefulness emulated the restorative effects of sleep in the absence of sleep.
“This could be a mechanism by which the brain maintains stability of population activity after sleep-induced synchronized neural responses,” said Dragoi, Scientific Director of CNSR and Professor, Electrical and Computer Engineering at Rice University. “Our results provide proof of concept for stimulation procedures to improve perceptual performance in the absence of sleep and may set the stage for future neuromodulation in humans.”
This study is one of many research areas in collaboration with CSNR to nurture functional interactions between Rice engineers and researchers, and Houston Methodist neurosurgeons, neuroscientists and regeneration biologists to design and test novel prosthetics, interventions and diagnostics on patients. The Center is led by Houston Methodist’s Gavin Britz, MD, MBCCH, MPH, MBA, FAANS, Candy and Tom Knudson Centennial Chair in Neurosurgery and Rice University’s Behnaam Aazhang, PhD, Jr., Director, Electrical and Computer Engineering, Rice Neuroengineering Initiative.
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