Prof. Markus Werkle-Bergner | Towards understanding the triage of sleep, memory, and brain development: Potentials and challenges

Guest Lecture

  • Date: May 10, 2019
  • Time: 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM (Local Time Germany)
  • Speaker: Prof. Markus Werkle-Bergner
  • Center for Lifespan Psychology; Max Planck Institute for Human Development, Berlin, Germany; Biologische Psychologie, Universität der Bundeswehr München, Neubiberg, Germany
  • Location: MPI for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences
  • Room: Wilhelm Wundt Room (A400)
  • Host: Max Planck Research Group "Adaptive Memory"
Sleep serves important functions for homoeostatic regulation and learning. Across the lifespan the sleep-stage architecture (i.e., the macro-structure) as well as the composition in terms of the various rhythmic neural events (i.e., the micro-structure) changes tremendously. Those changes in sleep micro- and macro-structure are paralleled by changes in cognition and brain structure. However, the developmental mechanisms linking sleep, cognition, and the brain across ontogenetic time remain to be fully uncovered. In this talk I will present results from ongoing age-comparative studies aiming at linking altered sleep micro-structure, memory consolidation, and brain structure in older adults and children. Specifically, I will highlight the beneficial role of a precise coupling of slow-oscillations and sleep-spindles for the maintenance of newly acquired mnemonic contents.
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