Closed-loop acoustic stimulation promotes local slow oscillation train initiation and persistence in elderly adults

Closed-loop acoustic stimulation (CLAS) in elderly adults increases slow oscillation train initiation probability and mean train length, shifting events from isolated to consecutive patterns during NREM sleep.

• Why it matters: Aging disrupts slow oscillation temporal organization, with more isolated events and shorter trains, potentially weakening sleep functions like memory consolidation and waste clearance.
• What they did: In a baseline night and an experimental night, 27 elderly participants received CLAS (STIM, n = 16) or no stimulation (SHAM, n = 11) after online detection of slow oscillations; local and global effects were quantified using offline detection.
• The result: CLAS reduced isolated slow oscillations and increased consecutive events, train-initiation probability, and mean train length locally, with weaker but directionally consistent global effects toward longer trains, without significant between-group changes in slow oscillation density.

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