University of California, Irvine biomedical engineering researchers have uncovered a previously unknown source of two key brain waves crucial for deep sleep: slow waves and sleep spindles. Traditionally believed to originate from one brain circuit linking the thalamus and cortex, the team’s findings, published today in Scientific Reports, suggest that the axons in memory centers of the hippocampus play a role.
For decades, slow waves and sleep spindles have been identified as essential elements of deep sleep, measured through electroencephalography recordings on the scalp. However, the UC Irvine-led team revealed a novel source of these brain waves within the hippocampus and were able to measure them in single axons.
The study demonstrates that slow waves and sleep spindles can originate from axons within the hippocampus’ cornu ammonis 3 region. These oscillations in voltage occur…
