Sleep represents a crucial time window for the consolidation of memory traces. In this view, some brain rhythms play a pivotal role, first of all the sleep slow waves. In particular, the neocortical slow oscillations (SOs), in coordination with the hippocampal ripples and the thalamocortical spindles, support the long-term storage of the declarative memories. The aging brain is characterized by a disruption of this complex system with outcomes on the related cognitive functions. In recent years, the advancement of the comprehension of the sleep-dependent memory consolidation mechanisms has encouraged the development of techniques of SO enhancement during sleep to induce cognitive benefits. In this review, we focused on the studies reporting on the application of acoustic or electric stimulation procedures in order to improve sleep-dependent memory consolidation in older subjects. Although the current literature is limited and presents inconsistencies, there is promising evidence supporting the perspective to non-invasively manipulate the sleeping brain electrophysiology to improve cognition in the elderly, also shedding light on the mechanisms underlying the sleep-memory relations during healthy and pathological aging.

中文翻译：

---

增强睡眠中的慢速振荡以改善老年人的记忆功能：文献综述。

睡眠表示整合内存跟踪的关键时间窗口。按照这种观点，某些脑节律起着关键作用，首先是睡眠慢波。特别是，新皮层慢振荡（SOs）与海马波纹和丘脑皮层纺锤体协调，支持声明性记忆的长期存储。大脑老化的特征是该复杂系统的破坏，相关认知功能得到了改善。近年来，对依赖于睡眠的记忆巩固机制的理解的进步促进了睡眠期间SO增强技术的发展，以诱导认知益处。在这篇评论中 我们专注于报告声波或电刺激程序的应用的研究，以改善老年受试者的睡眠依赖性记忆巩固。尽管当前的文献有限并且存在矛盾之处，但有希望的证据支持非侵入性地操纵睡眠脑电生理学以改善老年人的认知的观点，也阐明了健康和病理性衰老期间睡眠与记忆关系的潜在机制。