Local sleep spindle modulations in relation to specific memory cues

•Subjects associated words with locations biased to the left and right visual fields•Distinct odors were paired with left- and right-sided word blocks•During sleep, left- or right-sided blocks were cued with the corresponding odor•Spindle properties increased over posterior areas contralateral to the cued hemifield•Local sleep spindle modulations appear related to specific memories

Sleep spindles have been connected to memory processes in various ways. In addition, spindles appear to be modulated at the local cortical network level. We investigated whether cueing specific memories during sleep leads to localized spindle modulations in humans. During learning of word-location associations, words presented in the left and right visual hemifields were paired with different odors. By presenting a single odor during a subsequent nap, we aimed to selectively reactivate a subset of the studied material in sleeping subjects. During sleep, we observed topographically restricted spindle responses to memory cues, suggesting successful reactivation of specific memory traces. In particular, we found higher amplitude and greater incidence of fast spindles over posterior brain areas involved in visuospatial processing, contralateral to the visual field being cued. These results suggest that sleep spindles in different cortical areas reflect the reprocessing of specific memory traces.