What are hippocampal population recordings?

The second question concerns whether sleep is an absolute requirement for memory consolidation—or if sleep only provides favorable conditions for the processing of memory traces. For example, characteristic discharge patterns in HIPPOCAMPAL POPULATION RECORDINGS (sharp waves and ripples) occur in both SWS and quiet waking. This peculiar pattern of activity, rather than SWS per se, might be sufficient for memory processing. In this view, sleep might have a permissive, non-obligatory, role in memory trace processing.