“The frequency is on the average an irregular 10 per second, but frequently very regular bursts lasting 1 to 1½ seconds of 14 per second frequency appear. The amplitude builds regularly to a maximum and then falls regularly so that we have designated these “spindles,” because of their appearance in the record. Shorter spindles or “balls” of ¼–⅓ second duration occasionally appear.” (Loomis, Harvey, and Hobart, 1935)
After 81 years of intense research following these ground-breaking sentences, there is a growing insight of these phenomena, but the need for a deeper understanding of sleep spindles and thalamocortical up/down states is still desperate. The enigma of sleep is being transformed into an enigma of neural oscillations. Scientific endeavors aiming to reveal the roots of these mysteries lead us to organize a conference specifically focusing on these “sub-atomic” components of sleep (The 1st International Conference on Sleep Spindling, 12–14 May 2016, Budapest, http://sleepspindles.akcongress.com/). This particular successful and vibrant conference fostered the creation of a new, online, open-access journal specifically focusing on sleep spindles and up/down states (cortical bistability). I am very pleased to announce the first issue of this journal, which is published on an article-by-article basis.
Oscillations are at the heart of living systems. It is our common interest to investigate the origin and functions of neuronal oscillations. Since sleep spindle oscillations are at the crossroads between slow and fast oscillations during sleep, this new journal is open to scientific results about a very broad range of neural and behavioral phenomena. The journal covers all aspects of sleep spindles and cortical up/down states.
The first articles published in Sleep Spindles & Cortical Up States are reports on recent advances in this specific field of study, stressing the key importance of spindles and slow waves in neurobehavioral functioning. I sincerely hope that the papers in the first issue will encourage further submissions with interesting results and views from the scientific community.
Róbert Bódizs, PhD
Editor-in-Chief
Reference
Loomis AL , Harvey EN , and Hobart G (1935). Potential rhythms of the cerebral cortex during sleep. Science 81(2111):597–598. doi:10.1126/science.81.2111.597
