| Project/Area Number |
18K06849
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| Research Category |
Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
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| Allocation Type | Multi-year Fund |
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| Section | 一般 |
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| Review Section |
Basic Section 48020:Physiology-related
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| Research Institution | University of Tsukuba |
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Principal Investigator |
Vogt Kaspar 筑波大学, 国際統合睡眠医科学研究機構, 准教授 (80740034)
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| Project Period (FY) |
2018-04-01 – 2021-03-31
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| Project Status |
Completed (Fiscal Year 2020)
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| Budget Amount *help |
¥4,550,000 (Direct Cost: ¥3,500,000、Indirect Cost: ¥1,050,000)
Fiscal Year 2020: ¥910,000 (Direct Cost: ¥700,000、Indirect Cost: ¥210,000)
Fiscal Year 2019: ¥1,820,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,400,000、Indirect Cost: ¥420,000)
Fiscal Year 2018: ¥1,820,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,400,000、Indirect Cost: ¥420,000)
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| Keywords | Sleep / Cortex / Excitation / NREM / Optogenetics / in-vivo / in-vitro / sleep / cortex / response / LFP / single unit / spike / Channelrhodopsin / Sleep need / local field potential / cortical afferent / Slow Wave |
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| Outline of Final Research Achievements |
We are not moving and not fully aware of our surroundings during deep slow wave sleep. Many therefore assume that cortex, the outermost layer of the brain, where conscious thoughts are formed, is inhibited during this time. To study this, we investigated cortical circuits in sleep and waking in freely moving mice. We expressed a light-sensitive protein and then excited it with a brief pulse of laser light. Neurons in the cortex were then reacting as the excitation spread. Surprisingly, in deep, non-rapid eye movement (NREM) or slow wave sleep the responses were largest. The change in the response size occurred very rapidly - only about a minute from small responses in waking to large responses in slow wave sleep. This means the brain does not form (or later destroy) connections in this short time, it has to change existing ones. The change in several brain chemicals - most notably acetylcholine - are likely causing this increase in cortex excitability.
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| Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements |
Contrary to expectations the outermost brain layer, cortex, is more excitable in deep sleep compared to waking. This may explain the beneficial effect of sleep on memory by making it easier for different areas to communicate. It may also help understand why many seizures happen in deep sleep.
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