The sleeping brain switches between working memory and long-term memory processing

Abstract Both working memory (WM) and long-term memory (LTM) utilize non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep for improvement. LTM systems consolidation is supported by hippocampal-cortical communication, whereas WM improvement is associated with the strengthening of prefrontal-autonomic networks. Prior studies have demonstrated that these two networks demonstrate mutual antagonism during sleep; but this trade-off has not been confirmed in human sleep and its functional significance is unknown. Here, we investigated the functional impact of central and autonomic activity on LTM and WM improvement. We pharmacologically enhanced central activity and observed targeted suppression of autonomic activity, and using effective connectivity, we showed greater causal influence of central over autonomic activity. Finally, we demonstrated that the central and autonomic antagonism was reflected in a behavioral trade-off between overnight LTM and WM processing. These results suggest that NREM sleep confers benefits to working and long-term memory by switching between autonomic and central processing.