Role of sleep in creativity and problem solving

2021 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 19K16892
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Basic Section 51020:Cognitive and brain science-related
• Research Institution: University of Toyama
• Principal Investigator: Abdou Kareem 富山大学, 学術研究部医学系, 助教 (00833609)
• Project Period (FY): 2019-04-01 – 2022-03-31
• Keywords: Inference / Sleep

Outline of Final Research Achievements

We developed a transitive inference paradigm in mice that assesses the ability to infer new information that was not learned before, based on previous knowledge of overlapping memories. Sleep deprivation (SD) blocked the inference.
We manipulated the activity of anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), during non-rapid eye movement (NREM) and rapid eye movement (REM)sleep. Optogenetic inhibition of the ACC during wakefulness did not affect inference evolution, as mice achieved high correct performance during inference tests. Conversely, mice that received optogenetic inhibition of the ACC during either NREM or REM sleep failed to infer correctly. Artificial activation of the medial entorhinal cortex neuronal terminals in ACC during REM, but not NREM, sleep resulted in correct inferential behavior.

Free Research Field

Cognitive Neuroscience

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

Our study demonstrate a novel mechanism for creating novel ideas during sleep, which may open new horizon in the sleep research.
Our findings may help in the development of novel approaches to boost cognitive performance of normal and diseased subjects.