The effects of closed loop auditory stimulation on brain and behaviour in the short and long-term

Kings, Holly 2022. The effects of closed loop auditory stimulation on brain and behaviour in the short and long-term. PhD Thesis, Cardiff University. Item availability restricted.

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Abstract

One of the key functions of deep sleep has emerged as the processing and storage of memory. A recent technique has been developed to use precisely timed sound, delivered during deep sleep to boost its slow oscillations. The technique is known as closed loop auditory stimulation (CLAS) and has, in some limited circumstances, been shown to improve memory. This thesis aimed to expand our understanding of the effect of CLAS on memory in human participants. In particular, whether the benefit of stimulation can be generalised to other memory types and tasks, never before tested using CLAS: In Chapter 2 two previously untested with CLAS behavioural tasks were utilised, a motor sequence learning task and a pattern separation task, while in Chapter 3 three declarative tasks were assessed, all following night(s) with CLAS delivered using EEG monitoring. The thesis also sought to be the first to expand understanding of the effects of repeated nights of CLAS on sleep and behaviour: In Chapter 3 and Chapter 4 I used a device to deliver CLAS at home for seven and eight nights, and assessed the impact on memory recall. Finally, I aimed to understand for the first time if CLAS affected the activity of brain areas involved in the tasks during stimuli recall, using functional MRI scans. Results showed comparable electrophysiological brain responses from one night and one week of stimulation. Stimulation also led to changes in brain activity during memory task recall. One night of CLAS led to a decline in pattern separation performance. However, neither one nor repeated nights of stimulation led to changes in measured behavioural performance on all other tasks. The thesis therefore indicates that CLAS can affect the brain during sleep in a way that interacts with memory tasks, but does not always produce measurable performance change.

Item Type:	Thesis (PhD)
Date Type:	Completion
Status:	Unpublished
Schools:	Psychology
Subjects:	B Philosophy. Psychology. Religion > BF Psychology
Funders:	SWBio DTP
Date of First Compliant Deposit:	17 March 2022
Last Modified:	05 Jan 2024 08:25
URI:	https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/148438

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