Overview

I'm interested in what happens in the brain when we're asleep, and how this relates to memory performance when we're awake. Over the years, it's become apparent that some forms of memory benefit from a period of sleep. Memories may become more stabile and more resistant to interference. Such 'off-line' strengthening, or consolidation, of memory traces has a neural counterpart, which is only beginning to be understood. Part of the neural basis of sleep-dependent memory consolidation involves reactivation of neural activity: patterns of neural firing present at learning are repeated during sleep. Importantly, after learning a certain task, preventing the occurrence of task-related neural replay impairs subsequent waking performance on the same task. In other words, reactivation processes during sleep seem to be necessary ingredients for normal memory functioning.

My project

While asleep, as while awake, all sorts of rhythmic brain activity can be detected. Two types of brain waves that occur only during sleep, sleep spindles and slow oscillations, are important for memory. But many issues still need clarification. By reactivating certain memory traces during sleep with odors, and then looking at both brain oscillations and memory performance, I hope to come to a deeper understanding of memory consolidation processes during sleep, and the brain rhythms involved.

People

My supervisors are Dr. Lucia Talamini and Dr. Winni Hofman. Also in our lab: Carly Sweegers and Marieke de Boer.

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