Development of a real-time feedback method to regulate spontaneous brain oscillations during sleep to facilitate learning in older adults

2022 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 20K22297
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Research Activity Start-up
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: 0110:Psychology and related fields
• Research Institution: Institute of Physical and Chemical Research (2021-2022); National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health,Japan (2020)
• Principal Investigator: Tamaki Masako 国立研究開発法人理化学研究所, 脳神経科学研究センター, 理研白眉研究チームリーダー (20586276)
• Project Period (FY): 2020-09-11 – 2023-03-31
• Keywords: 睡眠 / 学習 / 加齢

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Accumulating body of evidence shows that sleep contributes to learning and memory. Previous research in young healthy subjects indicate that spontaneous brain oscillations during sleep play essential roles in learning, i.e. offline performance gains and stabilization of learning. It has been shown that aging impairs sleep quality and may alter brain oscillatory activities during sleep. The results of the present research suggest that aging indeed impairs offline performance gains over sleep, but not the training itself. We have also constructed an online feedback system where sounds were presented in realtime during sleep to modulate brain activities during sleep.

Free Research Field

睡眠科学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

加齢に伴う睡眠の質の低下や睡眠障害が認知機能に及ぼす影響が示唆されており、加齢による睡眠の変化と認知機能の問題を解決することは、労働力の高齢化する日本社会における急務の課題である。本研究結果から加齢に伴う睡眠依存の学習プロセスへの影響が示唆されたこと、そして自発脳活動をリアルタイムで検出し音刺激を提示するシステムは、今後の高齢者における学習機能の回復を目指す上で意義があると考えられる。