During sleep, three brain regions work together to strengthen memories, but epilepsy can disrupt that process. The findings provide a clearer view of how the brain preserves memories overnight and how epileptic activity may interfere with that process. Sleep links three memory regionsThe results offer the first direct evidence that these memory-related regions communicate during sleep in ways that support memory formation. Epileptic spikes interrupt memory coordinationThe researchers recorded activity from the orbitofrontal cortex, thalamus, and hippocampus in patients with epilepsy. They then compared the strength of that coordination with each patient’s memory performance.