Implications of Anesthetics on Sleep Consolidation
Status:
Not yet recruiting
Trial end date:
2023-05-01
Target enrollment:
Participant gender:
Summary
Sleep leads to consolidation of learning in humans, restoring memories that were forgotten
over a waking day and protecting memories against future forgetting. Although theories of
consolidation have linked sleep spindles seen on electroencephalography to consolidation due
to their putative role in hippocampal transfer to the neocortex (Antony et al, 2019; Antony &
Paller, 2017), spindles have not yet been linked to consolidation of perceptual learning or
generalized learning. Prior research by a collaborator on this project has shown that sleep
specifically aids in the consolidation of generalized perceptual learning of speech (Fenn,
Nusbaum, & Margoliash, 2003). Subjects show a 10-point reduction in performance after a
waking retention period, while no loss is found after a retention period containing sleep
(Fenn et al., 2003).
Various measurable activities in the brain are associated with memory consolidation during
sleep. This project intends study the effect of dexmedetomidine on memory consolidation
during sleep
Hypothesis 1 The gain in perceptual learning after a 90 minute natural sleep nap will also
occur after 90 minutes of a sufficient dose of IV dexmedetomidine to replicate sleep. This
result would suggest that consolidation can occur under this anesthetic state of
consciousness.
Hypothesis 2 The number and quality of sleep spindles seen on EEG in subjects administered
dexmedetomidine will correlate with this gain in perceptual learning. This result would
suggest that biomimetic sleep spindles are sufficient for producing memory consolidation.
Only those subjects capable of giving their own consent will be considered for this study.
The study will enroll 20 healthy subjects for this study between the ages of 18 and 35.
All volunteers will be fit and healthy, meeting the American Society of Anesthesiologists
(ASA) physical status classification ASA 1 (normal healthy subjects) and ASA 2 (stable
chronic condition) and of normal body habitus. Prior to the study enrollment, each volunteer
will sign an informed consent form. A standard anesthetic medical history will be taken in
addition to performing a focused standard pre-anesthetic physical examination in order to
rule out active and chronic medical problems.