Theta Phase-Coordinated Memory Reactivation Reoccurs in a Slow-Oscillatory Rhythm during NREM Sleep

It has been proposed that sleep’s contribution to memory consolidation is to reactivate prior encoded information. To elucidate the neural mechanisms carrying reactivation-related mnemonic information, we investigated whether content-specific memory signatures associated with memory reactivation during wakefulness reoccur during subsequent sleep. We show that theta oscillations orchestrate the reactivation of memories during both wakefulness and sleep. Reactivation patterns during sleep autonomously re-emerged at a rate of ∼1 Hz, indicating a coordination by slow oscillatory activity. [Display omitted] •Theta orchestrates the reactivation of memories during both wakefulness and sleep•Reactivation patterns during sleep autonomously re-emerge at a rate of ∼1 Hz•Interrupting the reactivation diminishes the beneficial effects of consolidation Schreiner et al. show that cue-triggered memory reactivation shares the same neural signatures during wakefulness and sleep. Theta oscillations orchestrate the reactivation of memories during both physiological states. During sleep, reactivation patterns autonomously re-emerge at a rate of ∼1 Hz, indicating a coordination by slow oscillations.