RUI: Mechanisms of Memory Consolidation in Offline Wakefulness

RUI：离线清醒状态下的记忆巩固机制

• 批准号: 2240524
• 负责人: Erin Wamsley
• 金额: $ 56.2万
• 依托单位: Furman University
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2023
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2023-08-15 至 2026-07-31
• 项目状态: 未结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2240524&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: RUI; Mechanisms; Memory; Consolidation; Offline

Why do we remember some things, but forget others? New memories are fragile, and have to be strengthened and reorganized in order to last. It is known that memories are strengthened at the end of the day during sleep. However, the early stages of this process of memory strengthening, called “consolidation”, might happen very quickly, during seconds-long periods when we zone out, relax and rest during our daily lives. This project investigates precisely how these waking zone-out periods are able to improve memory. When we sleep after learning, new memories are repeatedly reactivated in the brain, incrementally strengthening memory traces over time. The research in this project tests whether this same process of memory reactivation and strengthening explains how short zone-out periods are able to improve memory during wakefulness. It is possible to measure this process by using EEG (electroencephalography), a non-invasive brain imaging technique, combined with measures of pupil size, thought and behavior. The project has two main goals: first, the project investigates whether memories are reactivated and strengthened during seconds-long periods of waking rest, in a similar way in which they are reactivated and consolidated during sleep. Second, the research in this project explores how memory consolidation during waking rest works together synergistically with sleep to improve memory. This project aims to test the working hypothesis that rest and sleep act in sequence, with sleep being required to fully consolidate and strengthen an initial memory boost that happens during wakefulness. This research hopes to deepen our understanding of memory and ways to enhance it. Beyond its scientific goals, this project also strengthens science and STEM training by providing high-impact research training for high school students and undergraduates, including members of underrepresented minority groups. This project is jointly funded by the Cognitive Neuroscience Program, and the Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR).This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.

为什么我们记得一些事情，却忘记了另一些？新的记忆是脆弱的，必须加强和重组才能持久。众所周知，记忆在一天结束时的睡眠中得到加强。然而，这种记忆强化过程的早期阶段，被称为“巩固”，可能发生得很快，在我们日常生活中走神、放松和休息的几秒钟内就会发生。这个项目精确地研究了这些清醒状态是如何提高记忆力的。当我们在学习后睡觉时，新的记忆在大脑中被反复激活，随着时间的推移，记忆痕迹会逐渐加强。这个项目的研究测试了同样的记忆再激活和强化过程是否解释了短暂的无脑期是如何在清醒时改善记忆的。通过使用脑电图（EEG），一种非侵入性脑成像技术，结合瞳孔大小、思想和行为的测量，可以测量这一过程。该项目有两个主要目标：首先，该项目调查记忆是否在清醒休息的几秒钟内被重新激活和加强，就像它们在睡眠中被重新激活和巩固一样。其次，本项目的研究探索了在清醒休息时记忆巩固如何与睡眠协同作用以改善记忆。该项目旨在测试休息和睡眠顺序的工作假设，睡眠需要充分巩固和加强在清醒时发生的最初记忆提升。这项研究希望加深我们对记忆的理解以及增强记忆的方法。除了科学目标之外，该项目还通过为高中生和本科生（包括代表性不足的少数群体成员）提供高影响力的研究培训，加强科学和STEM培训。本项目由认知神经科学项目和刺激竞争研究的既定项目（EPSCoR）共同资助。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。