Sleep and Hippocampal Memory Consolidation

Abstract Sleep loss leads to many alterations in the function of our brains and bodies. Among the most consistent and notable changes are those in memory consolidation. This chapter focuses on the changes in declarative memory consolidation that occur in sleep. Following an introduction on sleep and memory, the text provides evidence for the role of different sleep stages and oscillations in memory consolidation, focusing on the way in which delta and theta activity, sleep spindles, and sharp wave ripples are each thought to be involved in the consolidation process. The next major section describes some of the neurotransmitter systems involved in sleep-dependent memory consolidation, as well as neurotransmitter changes in sleep loss that may be involved in the loss of memory that follows sleep deprivation. This is followed by a section describing changes in cellular and molecular processes following sleep loss and what these studies have revealed about how sleep enables memory consolidation.