Spike density in children with self-limited focal epilepsies affects memory performance and slow wave-spindle coupling during sleep

IF 3.4 3区医学 Q1 CLINICAL NEUROLOGY

Clinical Neurophysiology Pub Date : 2026-01-01 Epub Date: 2025-11-01 DOI:10.1016/j.clinph.2025.2111406

Elena C. Schmidt , Sarah Storz , Jelena Skorucak , Georgia Ramantani , Bigna K. Bölsterli , Sara Fattinger , Reto Huber

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Objective

Precise coupling of slow waves and spindles during non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep is crucial for memory consolidation. Children with self-limited focal epilepsies (SelFE) show epileptic spike waves during NREM sleep and often have impaired sleep-related memory. We investigated for the first time how spikes affect slow wave–spindle coupling and its impact on overnight memory.

Methods

Fourteen SelFE patients (mean age: 8.7 years) underwent overnight high-density EEG (128 channels) and completed a word-pair memory task before and after sleep. Spikes, spindles, and slow waves were automatically detected. Coupling precision was defined as the ratio of spindles during the ascending versus descending phase of the slow wave. Cluster-corrected topographical correlations examined relationships between spike density, coupling precision, and memory outcomes.

Results

Higher spike density was associated with poorer memory performance in a left centro-parietal region. Better memory was linked to greater coupling precision during the ascending phase in a left centro-frontal area. Increased spike density also correlated with reduced coupling precision in a central region.

Conclusion

Spikes may disrupt thalamocortical activity, impairing slow wave–spindle coupling and memory consolidation.

Significance

These findings suggest a mechanistic link between epileptic sleep activity and cognitive deficits in SelFE.

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自限性局灶性癫痫儿童的脑电波密度影响睡眠时的记忆表现和慢波-纺锤体耦合

目的非快速眼动（NREM）睡眠中慢波和纺锤波的精确耦合对记忆巩固至关重要。患有自限性局灶性癫痫的儿童在非快速眼动睡眠期间表现出癫痫性尖峰波，并且通常有睡眠相关记忆受损。我们首次研究了尖波如何影响慢波-主轴耦合及其对夜间记忆的影响。方法14例患者（平均年龄8.7岁）进行夜间高密度脑电图（128通道），并在睡眠前后完成单词对记忆任务。尖峰波、纺锤波和慢波被自动检测到。耦合精度定义为慢波上升与下降阶段主轴的比值。簇校正的地形相关性检验了尖峰密度、耦合精度和记忆结果之间的关系。结果高尖峰密度与左中顶叶区较差的记忆表现相关。在上升阶段，更好的记忆力与更高的耦合精度在左中央额叶区有关。增加的尖峰密度也与中心区域的耦合精度降低相关。结论峰电位可破坏丘脑皮层活动，损害慢波-纺锤体耦合和记忆巩固。这些发现表明癫痫性睡眠活动与自我认知缺陷之间存在机制联系。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

Clinical Neurophysiology 医学-临床神经学

CiteScore

8.70

自引率

6.40%

发文量

932

审稿时长

59 days

期刊介绍： As of January 1999, The journal Electroencephalography and Clinical Neurophysiology, and its two sections Electromyography and Motor Control and Evoked Potentials have amalgamated to become this journal - Clinical Neurophysiology. Clinical Neurophysiology is the official journal of the International Federation of Clinical Neurophysiology, the Brazilian Society of Clinical Neurophysiology, the Czech Society of Clinical Neurophysiology, the Italian Clinical Neurophysiology Society and the International Society of Intraoperative Neurophysiology.The journal is dedicated to fostering research and disseminating information on all aspects of both normal and abnormal functioning of the nervous system. The key aim of the publication is to disseminate scholarly reports on the pathophysiology underlying diseases of the central and peripheral nervous system of human patients. Clinical trials that use neurophysiological measures to document change are encouraged, as are manuscripts reporting data on integrated neuroimaging of central nervous function including, but not limited to, functional MRI, MEG, EEG, PET and other neuroimaging modalities.