Memory, Sleep, and Tau Function

Article type: Article Commentary

Authors: Avila, Jesús^{a; *} | Perry, George^b

Affiliations: [a] Centro de Biología Molecular Severo Ochoa (CSIC-UAM), Madrid, Spain | [b] Neurology, University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, USA

Correspondence: [*] Correspondence to: Jesús Avila, Centro de Biología Molecular Severo Ochoa, Calle Nicolás Cabrera, 1, 28049 Madrid, Spain. Tel.: +34 1964564; E-mail: javila@cbm.csic.es.

Abstract:  Memory consolidation related to the hippocampal-cortex connection takes place during sleep. This connection may involve at least two steps— one in the NREM phase of sleep (transmission) and the other in the REM phase (consolidation). In this brief report, we comment on the role of tau protein in these two phases of sleep. The absence of tau decreases δ waves in NREM, whereas the overexpression of modified (phosphorylated and/or mutated) tau alters θ waves in REM.

Keywords: Alzheimer’s disease, delta waves, memory, NREM phase, sleep, tau

DOI: 10.3233/JAD-230230

Journal: Journal of Alzheimer's Disease, vol. 94, no. 2, pp. 491-495, 2023