Resting-state functional connectivity and fast spindle temporal organization contribute to episodic memory consolidation in healthy aging

Episodic memory consolidation relies on the functional specialization of brain networks and sleep quality, both of which are affected by aging. Functional connectivity during wakefulness is crucial to support the integration of newly acquired information into memory networks. Additionally, the temporal dynamics of sleep spindles facilitate overnight memory consolidation by promoting hippocampal replay and integration of memories within neocortical structures. This study aimed at exploring how resting-state functional connectivity during wakefulness contributes to sleep-dependent memory consolidation in aging, and whether spindles clustered in trains modulate this relationship. Forty-two healthy older adults (68.82 ± 3.03 years), enrolled in the Age-Well clinical trial, were included. Sleep-dependent memory consolidation was assessed using a visuo-spatial memory task performed before and after a polysomnography night. Resting-state functional connectivity data were analyzed using graph theory applied to the whole brain, specific brain networks and the hippocampus. Lower limbic network integration and higher centrality of the anterior hippocampus were associated with better memory consolidation. Spindle trains modulated these effects, such that older participants with longer spindle trains exhibited a stronger negative association between limbic network integration and memory consolidation. These results indicate that lower functional specialization at rest is associated with weaker memory consolidation during sleep. This aligns with the dedifferentiation hypothesis, which posits that aging is associated with reduced brain specificity, leading to less efficient cognitive functioning. These findings reveal a novel mechanism linking daytime brain network organization and sleep-dependent memory consolidation, and suggest that targeting spindle dynamics could help preserve cognitive functioning in aging.