eLife · 28 August 2026 · From issue 28
Noradrenergic infraslow rhythm during sleep is the critical link between heart-rate dynamics and memory consolidation
In mice, a brain arousal center directly controls heart rate rhythms during sleep tied to memory.
Sofie S Jacobsen, Allison B Morehouse et al.
A brain area called the locus coeruleus sends out a chemical in slow pulses during sleep, about once every 50 seconds. These pulses make the heart rate speed up and slow down in a matching rhythm. In mice, turning this brain area on or off with light directly changed heart rate patterns. Bigger heart rate swings lined up with more brain activity linked to memory storage, and with better memory the next day, in both mice and people.
The rhythm of brain chemical bursts that matched heart rate changes during deep sleep.
Mice only for direct proof, human data just show a matching pattern.
Integrity screen: passed (3 checks) Checked 29 August 2026. Retraction record: none. DOI resolves at doi.org. Metadata record found (eLife). Read the source
This screen checks process signals. It does not tell you the findings are true.