Acoustic oddball during NREM sleep: a combined EEG/fMRI study.

ABSTRACT:

Background

A condition vital for the consolidation and maintenance of sleep is generally reduced responsiveness to external stimuli. Despite this, the sleeper maintains a level of stimulus processing that allows to respond to potentially dangerous environmental signals. The mechanisms that subserve these contradictory functions are only incompletely understood.

Methodology/principal findings

Using combined EEG/fMRI we investigated the neural substrate of sleep protection by applying an acoustic oddball paradigm during light NREM sleep. Further, we studied the role of evoked K-complexes (KCs), an electroencephalographic hallmark of NREM sleep with a still unknown role for sleep protection. Our main results were: (1) Other than in wakefulness, rare tones did not induce a blood

SUBMITTER: Czisch M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2727699 | biostudies-literature | 2009 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature