Enhanced synchronization of gamma activity between frontal lobes during REM sleep as a function of REM sleep deprivation in man

Studies have shown that synchrony or temporal coupling of gamma activity is involved in processing and integrating information in the brain. Comparing rapid eye movement (REM) sleep to waking and non-REM (NREM) sleep, interhemispheric temporal coupling is higher, but lower between the frontal and posterior association areas of the same hemisphere. However, the homeostatic response of REM sleep temporal coupling after selective REM sleep deprivation (REMD) has not been studied. This study proposed exploring the effect of one night of selective REMD on the temporal coupling of cortical gamma activity during recovery REM sleep. Two groups of healthy subjects were subjected to either REMD by awakening them at each REM sleep onset, or to NREM sleep interruptions. Subjects slept four consecutive nights in the laboratory: first for adaptation, second as baseline, third for sleep manipulation, and fourth for recovery. Interhemispheric and intrahemispheric EEG correlations were analyzed during tonic REM (no eye movements) for the first three REM sleep episodes during baseline sleep, and recovery sleep after one night of selective REMD. Temporal coupling between frontal lobes showed a significant homeostatic rebound that increased during recovery REM sleep relative to baseline and controls. Results showed a rebound in temporal coupling between the two frontal lobes after REM sleep deprivation, indicating that the enhanced gamma temporal coupling that occurs normally during REM sleep has functional consequences. Conclusion: results suggest that synchronized activity during REM sleep may play an important role in integrating and reprocessing information.