Ricerc@Sapienza

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,

Purpose: Recent studies demonstrate that 5-Hz bilateral transcranial alternating current stimulation (θ-tACS) on fronto-temporal areas affects resting EEG enhancing cortical synchronization, but it does not affect subjective sleepiness. This dissociation raises questions on the resemblance of this effect to the physiological falling asleep process. The current study aimed to evaluate the ability of fronto-temporal θ-tACS to promote sleep.