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Peer-reviewedCC BY-NC-NDNature Neuroscience

Induction of cortical on/off periods in awake mice fulfills sleep functions

  • Kort Driessen1,2,3
  • Fabio Squarcio1,3
  • Giulio Tononi1,3
  • Chiara Cirelli4,3
4 affiliations
  1. 1Department of Psychiatry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
  2. 2Neuroscience Training Program, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
  3. 3University of Wisconsin - Madison
  4. 4Department of Psychiatry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA. [email protected]
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Abstract

Can animals obtain core benefits of sleep while remaining awake? In mammals, slow-wave sleep is characterized by synchronized neuronal activity alternating between ON and OFF periods. Slow-wave activity and synchrony reflect sleep need, are correlated with synaptic strength in cortical circuits, and promote synaptic down-selection and memory consolidation. To address the above question, we locally induced alternating ON/OFF periods during wakefulness using optogenetics in mice. This led to a local, ipsilateral reduction of slow-wave activity and synchrony during subsequent sleep and to reduced markers of synaptic strength. Moreover, bilateral induction of OFF periods over sensorimotor cortex during sleep deprivation restored memory consolidation. Thus, inducing ON/OFF activity during wakefulness is sufficient to reduce local sleep need and fulfills core functions of sleep.

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Cite

BibTeXRIS
BibTeX
@article{driessen2026induction,
  title = {{Induction of cortical on/off periods in awake mice fulfills sleep functions}},
  author = {Kort Driessen and Fabio Squarcio and Giulio Tononi and Chiara Cirelli},
  journal = {Nature Neuroscience},
  year = {2026},
  month = jun,
  doi = {10.1038/s41593-026-02318-9},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.1038/s41593-026-02318-9},
  note = {CC BY-NC-ND},
}
RIS
TY  - JOUR
TI  - Induction of cortical on/off periods in awake mice fulfills sleep functions
AU  - Kort Driessen
AU  - Fabio Squarcio
AU  - Giulio Tononi
AU  - Chiara Cirelli
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/06/08
JO  - Nature Neuroscience
DO  - 10.1038/s41593-026-02318-9
UR  - https://doi.org/10.1038/s41593-026-02318-9
AB  - Can animals obtain core benefits of sleep while remaining awake? In mammals, slow-wave sleep is characterized by synchronized neuronal activity alternating between ON and OFF periods. Slow-wave activity and synchrony reflect sleep need, are correlated with synaptic strength in cortical circuits, and promote synaptic down-selection and memory consolidation. To address the above question, we locally induced alternating ON/OFF periods during wakefulness using optogenetics in mice. This led to a local, ipsilateral reduction of slow-wave activity and synchrony during subsequent sleep and to reduced markers of synaptic strength. Moreover, bilateral induction of OFF periods over sensorimotor cortex during sleep deprivation restored memory consolidation. Thus, inducing ON/OFF activity during wakefulness is sufficient to reduce local sleep need and fulfills core functions of sleep.
SN  - 1097-6256
SN  - 1546-1726
ER  -