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Zhao X, Chen PH, Chen J, Sun H. Manipulated overlapping reactivation of multiple memories promotes explicit gist abstraction. Neurobiol Learn Mem 2024; 213:107953. [PMID: 38950676 DOI: 10.1016/j.nlm.2024.107953] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2023] [Revised: 05/19/2024] [Accepted: 06/14/2024] [Indexed: 07/03/2024]
Abstract
Sleep is considered to promote gist abstraction on the basis of spontaneous memory reactivation. As speculated in the theory of 'information overlap to abstract (iOtA)', 'overlap' between reactivated memories, beyond reactivation, is crucial to gist abstraction. Yet so far, empirical research has not tested this theory by manipulating the factor of 'overlap'. In the current study, 'overlap' itself was manipulated by targeted memory reactivation (TMR), through simultaneously reactivating multiple memories that either contain or do not contain spatially overlapped gist information, to investigate the effect of overlapping reactivation on gist abstraction. This study had a factorial design of 2 factors with 2 levels respectively (spatial overlap/no spatial overlap, TMR/no-TMR). Accordingly, 82 healthy college students (aged 19 ∼ 25, 57 females) were randomized into four groups. After learning 16 pictures, paired with 4 auditory cues (4 pictures - 1 cue) according to the grouping, participants were given a 90-minute nap opportunity. Then TMR cueing was conducted during N2 and slow wave sleep of the nap. Performance in memory task was used to measure gist abstraction. The results showed a significant main effect of TMR on both implicit and explicit gist abstraction, and a marginally significant interaction effect on explicit gist abstraction. Further analyses showed that explicit gist abstraction in the spatial overlap & TMR group was significantly better than in the control group. Moreover, explicit gist abstraction was positively correlated with spindle density. The current study thus indicates that TMR facilitates gist abstraction, and explicit gist abstraction may benefit more from overlapping reactivation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoxia Zhao
- Peking University Sixth Hospital, Peking University Institute of Mental Health, NHC Key Laboratory of Mental Health (Peking University), National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders (Peking University Sixth Hospital), Peking University, 51 HuayuanBei Road, Beijing 100191, China
| | - Po-Han Chen
- Peking University Sixth Hospital, Peking University Institute of Mental Health, NHC Key Laboratory of Mental Health (Peking University), National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders (Peking University Sixth Hospital), Peking University, 51 HuayuanBei Road, Beijing 100191, China
| | - Jie Chen
- Peking University Sixth Hospital, Peking University Institute of Mental Health, NHC Key Laboratory of Mental Health (Peking University), National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders (Peking University Sixth Hospital), Peking University, 51 HuayuanBei Road, Beijing 100191, China
| | - Hongqiang Sun
- Peking University Sixth Hospital, Peking University Institute of Mental Health, NHC Key Laboratory of Mental Health (Peking University), National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders (Peking University Sixth Hospital), Peking University, 51 HuayuanBei Road, Beijing 100191, China.
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2
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Xia T, Chen D, Zeng S, Yao Z, Liu J, Qin S, Paller KA, Torres Platas SG, Antony JW, Hu X. Aversive memories can be weakened during human sleep via the reactivation of positive interfering memories. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2024; 121:e2400678121. [PMID: 39052838 PMCID: PMC11295023 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2400678121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2024] [Accepted: 06/17/2024] [Indexed: 07/27/2024] Open
Abstract
Recollecting painful or traumatic experiences can be deeply troubling. Sleep may offer an opportunity to reduce such suffering. We developed a procedure to weaken older aversive memories by reactivating newer positive memories during sleep. Participants viewed 48 nonsense words each paired with a unique aversive image, followed by an overnight sleep. In the next evening, participants learned associations between half of the words and additional positive images, creating interference. During the following non-rapid-eye-movement sleep, auditory memory cues were unobtrusively delivered. Upon waking, presenting cues associated with both aversive and positive images during sleep, as opposed to not presenting cues, weakened aversive memory recall while increasing positive memory intrusions. Substantiating these memory benefits, computational modeling revealed that cueing facilitated evidence accumulation toward positive affect judgments. Moreover, cue-elicited theta brain rhythms during sleep predominantly predicted the recall of positive memories. A noninvasive sleep intervention can thus modify aversive recollection and affective responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tao Xia
- Department of Psychology, The State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region999077, China
| | - Danni Chen
- Department of Psychology, The State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region999077, China
| | - Shengzi Zeng
- Department of Psychology, The State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region999077, China
- Department of Psychiatry, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA02215
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA02215
| | - Ziqing Yao
- Department of Psychology, The State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region999077, China
| | - Jing Liu
- Department of Applied Social Sciences, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region999077, China
| | - Shaozheng Qin
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning and International Data Group McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing100875, China
| | - Ken A. Paller
- Cognitive Neuroscience Program and Department of Psychology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL60208
| | - S. Gabriela Torres Platas
- Cognitive Neuroscience Program and Department of Psychology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL60208
| | - James W. Antony
- Department of Psychology & Child Development, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, CA93407
| | - Xiaoqing Hu
- Department of Psychology, The State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region999077, China
- The University of Hong Kong-Shenzhen Institute of Research and Innovation, Shenzhen518057, China
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3
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Yao Z, Xia T, Wei J, Zhang Z, Lin X, Zhang D, Qin P, Ma Y, Hu X. Reactivating cue approached positive personality traits during sleep promotes positive self-referential processing. iScience 2024; 27:110341. [PMID: 39055925 PMCID: PMC11269284 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2024.110341] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2024] [Revised: 04/16/2024] [Accepted: 06/19/2024] [Indexed: 07/28/2024] Open
Abstract
People preferentially endorse positive personality traits as more self-descriptive than negative ones, a positivity self-referential bias. Here, we investigated how to enhance positive self-referential processing, integrating wakeful cue-approach training task (CAT) and sleep-based targeted memory reactivation (TMR). In the CAT, participants gave speeded motor responses to cued positive personality traits. In a subsequent nap, we unobtrusively re-played half of the trained positive traits during slow-wave sleep (TMR). Upon awakening, CAT+TMR facilitated participants' speed in endorsing positive traits in immediate tests, and rendered participants endorse more positive traits as self-descriptive after one week. Notably, these enhancements were associated with the directionality of cue-related 1-4 Hz slow traveling waves (STW) that propagate across brain regions. Specifically, anterior-to-posterior backward STW was positively associated with these benefits, whereas forward STW showed negative associations. These findings demonstrate the potential benefits of integrated wakeful cue-approach training and sleep-based memory reactivation in strengthening positive self-referential processing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ziqing Yao
- Department of Psychology and The State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Tao Xia
- Department of Psychology and The State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Jinwen Wei
- School of Biomedical Engineering, Medical School, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060, China
| | - Zhiguo Zhang
- School of Computer Science and Technology, Harbin Institute of Technology, Shenzhen, China
- Peng Cheng Laboratory, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Xuanyi Lin
- Department of Psychology and The State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
- Center for Sleep & Circadian Biology, Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208, USA
- Department of Neurobiology, Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208, USA
| | - Dandan Zhang
- Institute of Brain and Psychological Sciences, Sichuan Normal University, Chengdu, China
| | - Pengmin Qin
- Key Laboratory of Brain, Cognition and Education Sciences, Ministry of Education, School of Psychology, Center for Studies of Psychological Application, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Mental Health and Cognitive Science, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510631, China
| | - Yina Ma
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning, IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Key Laboratory of Brain Imaging and Connectomics, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
- Chinese Institute for Brain Research, Beijing, China
| | - Xiaoqing Hu
- Department of Psychology and The State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
- HKU, Shenzhen Institute of Research and Innovation, Shenzhen, China
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4
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Chen D, Xia T, Yao Z, Zhang L, Hu X. Modulating social learning-induced evaluation updating during human sleep. NPJ SCIENCE OF LEARNING 2024; 9:43. [PMID: 38971834 PMCID: PMC11227583 DOI: 10.1038/s41539-024-00255-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2023] [Accepted: 06/13/2024] [Indexed: 07/08/2024]
Abstract
People often change their evaluations upon learning about their peers' evaluations, i.e., social learning. Given sleep's vital role in consolidating daytime experiences, sleep may facilitate social learning, thereby further changing people's evaluations. Combining a social learning task and the sleep-based targeted memory reactivation technique, we asked whether social learning-induced evaluation updating can be modulated during sleep. After participants had indicated their initial evaluation of snacks, they learned about their peers' evaluations while hearing the snacks' spoken names. During the post-learning non-rapid-eye-movement sleep, we re-played half of the snack names (i.e., cued snack) to reactivate the associated peers' evaluations. Upon waking up, we found that the social learning-induced evaluation updating further enlarged for both cued and uncued snacks. Examining sleep electroencephalogram (EEG) activity revealed that cue-elicited delta-theta EEG power and the overnight N2 sleep spindle density predicted post-sleep evaluation updating for cued but not for uncued snacks. These findings underscore the role of sleep-mediated memory reactivation and the associated neural activity in supporting social learning-induced evaluation updating.
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Affiliation(s)
- Danni Chen
- Department of Psychology, The State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Tao Xia
- Department of Psychology, The State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Ziqing Yao
- Department of Psychology, The State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Lingqi Zhang
- Department of Psychology, The State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Xiaoqing Hu
- Department of Psychology, The State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China.
- HKU-Shenzhen Institute of Research and Innovation, Shenzhen, China.
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5
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Sifuentes Ortega R, Peigneux P. Does Targeted Memory Reactivation during SWS and REM sleep have differential effects on mnemonic discrimination and generalization? Sleep 2024:zsae114. [PMID: 38766994 DOI: 10.1093/sleep/zsae114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2023] [Indexed: 05/22/2024] Open
Abstract
Targeted memory reactivation (TMR), or the presentation of learning-related cues during sleep, has been shown to benefit memory consolidation for specific memory traces when applied during non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep. Prior studies suggest that TMR during REM sleep may play a role in memory generalization processes, but evidence remains scarce. We tested the hypothesis that TMR exerts a differential effect on distinct mnemonic processes as a function of the sleep state (REM vs. NREM) in which TMR is delivered. Mnemonic discrimination and generalization of semantic categories were investigated using an adapted version of the Mnemonic Similarity Task, before and after sleep. Forty-eight participants encoded pictures from eight semantic categories, each associated with a sound. In the pre-sleep immediate test, they had to discriminate "old" (targets) from "similar" (lures) or "new" (foils) pictures. During sleep, half of the sounds were replayed in slow wave sleep (SWS) or REM sleep. Recognition, discrimination, and generalization memory indices were tested in the morning. These indices did not differ between SWS and REM TMR groups or reactivated and non-reactivated item categories. Additional results suggest a positive effect of TMR on performance for highly similar items mostly relying on mnemonic discrimination processes. During sleep, EEG activity after cue presentation increased in the delta-theta and sigma band in the SWS group, and in the beta band in the REM TMR group. These results do not support the hypothesis of a differential processing of novel memory traces when TMR is administered in distinctive physiological sleep states.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebeca Sifuentes Ortega
- UR2NF, Neuropsychology and Functional Neuroimaging Research Unit at CRCN affiliated at Center for Research in Cognition and Neurosciences and UNI - ULB Neurosciences Institute, Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Belgium
| | - Philippe Peigneux
- UR2NF, Neuropsychology and Functional Neuroimaging Research Unit at CRCN affiliated at Center for Research in Cognition and Neurosciences and UNI - ULB Neurosciences Institute, Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Belgium
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6
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Hoffman LJ, Foley JM, Tanrıverdi B, Chein J, Olson IR. Awake targeted memory reactivation doesn't work. Mem Cognit 2024:10.3758/s13421-024-01576-x. [PMID: 38744776 DOI: 10.3758/s13421-024-01576-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 04/20/2024] [Indexed: 05/16/2024]
Abstract
Memories are pliable and can be biased by post-encoding information. In targeted memory reactivation (TMR) studies, participants encode information then sleep, during which time sounds or scents that were previously associated with the encoded images are re-presented in an effort to trigger reactivation of the associated memory traces. Upon subsequent testing, memory for reactivated items is often enhanced. Is sleep essential for this process? The literature on awake TMR is small and findings are mixed. Here, we asked English-speaking adults to learn Japanese vocabulary words. During a subsequent active rest phase, participants played Tetris while sound cues associated with the vocabulary words were presented. Results showed that when memories were reactivated, they were either disrupted (Experiment 1) or unaffected (Experiments 2, 3). These findings indicate that awake TMR is not beneficial, and may actually impair subsequent memory. These findings have important implications for research on memory consolidation and reactivation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Linda J Hoffman
- Department of Psychology, Temple University, 1701 N. 13th Street, Philadelphia, PA, 19122, USA
| | - Julia M Foley
- Department of Psychology, Temple University, 1701 N. 13th Street, Philadelphia, PA, 19122, USA
| | - Büşra Tanrıverdi
- Department of Psychology, Temple University, 1701 N. 13th Street, Philadelphia, PA, 19122, USA
| | - Jason Chein
- Department of Psychology, Temple University, 1701 N. 13th Street, Philadelphia, PA, 19122, USA
| | - Ingrid R Olson
- Department of Psychology, Temple University, 1701 N. 13th Street, Philadelphia, PA, 19122, USA.
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7
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Guttesen AÁV, Denis D, Gaskell MG, Cairney SA. Delineating memory reactivation in sleep with verbal and non-verbal retrieval cues. Cereb Cortex 2024; 34:bhae183. [PMID: 38745557 PMCID: PMC11094403 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhae183] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2023] [Revised: 04/12/2024] [Accepted: 04/16/2024] [Indexed: 05/16/2024] Open
Abstract
Sleep supports memory consolidation via the reactivation of newly formed memory traces. One way to investigate memory reactivation in sleep is by exposing the sleeping brain to auditory retrieval cues; a paradigm known as targeted memory reactivation. To what extent the acoustic properties of memory cues influence the effectiveness of targeted memory reactivation, however, has received limited attention. We addressed this question by exploring how verbal and non-verbal memory cues affect oscillatory activity linked to memory reactivation in sleep. Fifty-one healthy male adults learned to associate visual stimuli with spoken words (verbal cues) and environmental sounds (non-verbal cues). Subsets of the verbal and non-verbal memory cues were then replayed during sleep. The voice of the verbal cues was either matched or mismatched to learning. Memory cues (relative to unheard control cues) prompted an increase in theta/alpha and spindle power, which have been heavily implicated in sleep-associated memory processing. Moreover, verbal memory cues were associated with a stronger increase in spindle power than non-verbal memory cues. There were no significant differences between the matched and mismatched verbal cues. Our findings suggest that verbal memory cues may be most effective for triggering memory reactivation in sleep, as indicated by an amplified spindle response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna á V Guttesen
- Department of Psychology, University of York, York YO10 5DD, United Kingdom
- Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 9DU, United Kingdom
| | - Dan Denis
- Department of Psychology, University of York, York YO10 5DD, United Kingdom
- York Biomedical Research Institute, University of York, York YO10 5DD, United Kingdom
| | - M Gareth Gaskell
- Department of Psychology, University of York, York YO10 5DD, United Kingdom
- York Biomedical Research Institute, University of York, York YO10 5DD, United Kingdom
| | - Scott A Cairney
- Department of Psychology, University of York, York YO10 5DD, United Kingdom
- York Biomedical Research Institute, University of York, York YO10 5DD, United Kingdom
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Denis D, Payne JD. Targeted Memory Reactivation during Nonrapid Eye Movement Sleep Enhances Neutral, But Not Negative, Components of Memory. eNeuro 2024; 11:ENEURO.0285-23.2024. [PMID: 38769012 PMCID: PMC11140657 DOI: 10.1523/eneuro.0285-23.2024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2023] [Revised: 03/14/2024] [Accepted: 04/18/2024] [Indexed: 05/22/2024] Open
Abstract
Emotionally salient components of memory are preferentially remembered at the expense of accompanying neutral information. This emotional memory trade-off is enhanced over time, and possibly sleep, through a process of memory consolidation. Sleep is believed to benefit memory through a process of reactivation during nonrapid eye movement sleep (NREM). Here, targeted memory reactivation (TMR) was used to manipulate the reactivation of negative and neutral memories during NREM sleep. Thirty-one male and female participants encoded composite scenes containing either a negative or neutral object superimposed on an always neutral background. During NREM sleep, sounds associated with the scene object were replayed, and memory for object and background components was tested the following morning. We found that TMR during NREM sleep improved memory for neutral, but not negative scene objects. This effect was associated with sleep spindle activity, with a larger spindle response following TMR cues predicting TMR effectiveness for neutral items only. These findings therefore do not suggest a role of NREM memory reactivation in enhancing the emotional memory trade-off across a 12 h period but do align with growing evidence of spindle-mediated memory reactivation in service of neutral declarative memory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dan Denis
- Department of Psychology, University of York, York YO10 5DD, United Kingdom,
| | - Jessica D Payne
- Department of Psychology, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana 46556
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9
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Berger S, Batterink LJ. Children extract a new linguistic rule more quickly than adults. Dev Sci 2024:e13498. [PMID: 38517035 DOI: 10.1111/desc.13498] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2023] [Revised: 12/19/2023] [Accepted: 02/26/2024] [Indexed: 03/23/2024]
Abstract
Children achieve better long-term language outcomes than adults. However, it remains unclear whether children actually learn language more quickly than adults during real-time exposure to input-indicative of true superior language learning abilities-or whether this advantage stems from other factors. To examine this issue, we compared the rate at which children (8-10 years) and adults extracted a novel, hidden linguistic rule, in which novel articles probabilistically predicted the animacy of associated nouns (e.g., "gi lion"). Participants categorized these two-word phrases according to a second, explicitly instructed rule over two sessions, separated by an overnight delay. Both children and adults successfully learned the hidden animacy rule through mere exposure to the phrases, showing slower response times and decreased accuracy to occasional phrases that violated the rule. Critically, sensitivity to the hidden rule emerged much more quickly in children than adults; children showed a processing cost for violation trials from very early on in learning, whereas adults did not show reliable sensitivity to the rule until the second session. Children also showed superior generalization of the hidden animacy rule when asked to classify nonword trials (e.g., "gi badupi") according to the hidden animacy rule. Children and adults showed similar retention of the hidden rule over the delay period. These results provide insight into the nature of the critical period for language, suggesting that children have a true advantage over adults in the rate of implicit language learning. Relative to adults, children more rapidly extract hidden linguistic structures during real-time language exposure. RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS: Children and adults both succeeded in implicitly learning a novel, uninstructed linguistic rule, based solely on exposure to input. Children learned the novel linguistic rules much more quickly than adults. Children showed better generalization performance than adults when asked to apply the novel rule to nonsense words without semantic content. Results provide insight into the nature of critical period effects in language, indicating that children have an advantage over adults in real-time language learning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Berger
- Department of Psychology, University of Western Ontario, London, Canada
| | - Laura J Batterink
- Department of Psychology, University of Western Ontario, London, Canada
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Tal A, Schechtman E, Caughran B, Paller KA, Davachi L. The reach of reactivation: Effects of consciously triggered versus unconsciously triggered reactivation of associative memory. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2024; 121:e2313604121. [PMID: 38408248 PMCID: PMC10927514 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2313604121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2023] [Accepted: 01/31/2024] [Indexed: 02/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Consolidating memories for long-term storage depends on reactivation. Reactivation occurs both consciously, during wakefulness, and unconsciously, during wakefulness and sleep. While considerable work has examined conscious awake and unconscious sleep reactivation, in this study, we directly compare the consequences of conscious and unconscious reactivation during wakefulness. Forty-one participants learned associations consisting of adjective-object-position triads. Objects were clustered into distinct semantic groups (e.g., fruits, vehicles) such that we could examine consequences of reactivation on semantically related memories. After an intensive learning protocol, we systematically reactivated some of the triads by presenting the adjective as a cue. Reactivation was done so that it was consciously experienced for some triads, and only unconsciously processed for others. Memory for spatial positions, the most distal part of the association, was affected by reactivation in a consciousness-dependent and memory-strength-dependent manner. Conscious reactivation resulted in weakening of semantically related memories that were strong initially, resonating with prior findings of retrieval-induced forgetting. Unconscious reactivation, on the other hand, selectively benefited weak reactivated memories, as previously shown for reactivation during sleep. Semantically linked memories were not impaired, but rather were integrated with the reactivated memory. These results taken together demonstrate that conscious and unconscious reactivation have qualitatively different consequences. Results support a consciousness-dependent inhibition account, whereby unconscious reactivation entails less inhibition than conscious reactivation, thus allowing more liberal spread of activation. Findings set the stage for additional exploration into the role of conscious experience in memory storage and structuring.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amir Tal
- Department of Psychology, Columbia University, New York, NY10027
| | - Eitan Schechtman
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, University of California, Irvine, CA92697
- Center for Neurobiology of Learning and Memory, University of California, Irvine, CA92697
- Department of Psychology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL60208
| | - Bruce Caughran
- Department of Psychology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL60208
| | - Ken A. Paller
- Department of Psychology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL60208
| | - Lila Davachi
- Department of Psychology, Columbia University, New York, NY10027
- Department of Clinical Research, Nathan Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, Orangeburg, NY10962
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11
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Lutz ND, Martínez-Albert E, Friedrich H, Born J, Besedovsky L. Sleep shapes the associative structure underlying pattern completion in multielement event memory. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2024; 121:e2314423121. [PMID: 38377208 PMCID: PMC10907255 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2314423121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2023] [Accepted: 12/28/2023] [Indexed: 02/22/2024] Open
Abstract
Sleep supports the consolidation of episodic memory. It is, however, a matter of ongoing debate how this effect is established, because, so far, it has been demonstrated almost exclusively for simple associations, which lack the complex associative structure of real-life events, typically comprising multiple elements with different association strengths. Because of this associative structure interlinking the individual elements, a partial cue (e.g., a single element) can recover an entire multielement event. This process, referred to as pattern completion, is a fundamental property of episodic memory. Yet, it is currently unknown how sleep affects the associative structure within multielement events and subsequent processes of pattern completion. Here, we investigated the effects of post-encoding sleep, compared with a period of nocturnal wakefulness (followed by a recovery night), on multielement associative structures in healthy humans using a verbal associative learning task including strongly, weakly, and not directly encoded associations. We demonstrate that sleep selectively benefits memory for weakly associated elements as well as for associations that were not directly encoded but not for strongly associated elements within a multielement event structure. Crucially, these effects were accompanied by a beneficial effect of sleep on the ability to recall multiple elements of an event based on a single common cue. In addition, retrieval performance was predicted by sleep spindle activity during post-encoding sleep. Together, these results indicate that sleep plays a fundamental role in shaping associative structures, thereby supporting pattern completion in complex multielement events.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicolas D Lutz
- Institute of Medical Psychology and Behavioral Neurobiology, University of Tübingen, Tübingen 72076, Germany
- Institute of Medical Psychology, LMU Munich, Munich 80336, Germany
| | - Estefanía Martínez-Albert
- Institute of Medical Psychology and Behavioral Neurobiology, University of Tübingen, Tübingen 72076, Germany
- Institute of Medical Psychology, LMU Munich, Munich 80336, Germany
| | - Hannah Friedrich
- Institute of Medical Psychology and Behavioral Neurobiology, University of Tübingen, Tübingen 72076, Germany
| | - Jan Born
- Institute of Medical Psychology and Behavioral Neurobiology, University of Tübingen, Tübingen 72076, Germany
- Werner Reichardt Centre for Integrative Neuroscience, University of Tübingen, Tübingen 72076, Germany
- German Center for Diabetes Research, Institute for Diabetes Research and Metabolic Diseases of the Helmholtz Center Munich at the University Tübingen, Tübingen 72076, Germany
| | - Luciana Besedovsky
- Institute of Medical Psychology and Behavioral Neurobiology, University of Tübingen, Tübingen 72076, Germany
- Institute of Medical Psychology, LMU Munich, Munich 80336, Germany
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12
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Denis D, Cairney SA. Neural reactivation during human sleep. Emerg Top Life Sci 2023; 7:487-498. [PMID: 38054531 PMCID: PMC10754334 DOI: 10.1042/etls20230109] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2023] [Revised: 11/20/2023] [Accepted: 11/23/2023] [Indexed: 12/07/2023]
Abstract
Sleep promotes memory consolidation: the process by which newly acquired memories are stabilised, strengthened, and integrated into long-term storage. Pioneering research in rodents has revealed that memory reactivation in sleep is a primary mechanism underpinning sleep's beneficial effect on memory. In this review, we consider evidence for memory reactivation processes occurring in human sleep. Converging lines of research support the view that memory reactivation occurs during human sleep, and is functionally relevant for consolidation. Electrophysiology studies have shown that memory reactivation is tightly coupled to the cardinal neural oscillations of non-rapid eye movement sleep, namely slow oscillation-spindle events. In addition, functional imaging studies have found that brain regions recruited during learning become reactivated during post-learning sleep. In sum, the current evidence paints a strong case for a mechanistic role of neural reactivation in promoting memory consolidation during human sleep.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dan Denis
- Department of Psychology, University of York, York YO10 5DD, U.K
| | - Scott A. Cairney
- Department of Psychology, University of York, York YO10 5DD, U.K
- York Biomedical Research Institute, University of York, York YO10 5DD, U.K
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13
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Salgado-Puga K, Rothschild G. Exposure to sounds during sleep impairs hippocampal sharp wave ripples and memory consolidation. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.11.22.568283. [PMID: 38045371 PMCID: PMC10690295 DOI: 10.1101/2023.11.22.568283] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/05/2023]
Abstract
Sleep is critical for the consolidation of recent experiences into long-term memories. As a key underlying neuronal mechanism, hippocampal sharp-wave ripples (SWRs) occurring during sleep define periods of hippocampal reactivation of recent experiences and have been causally linked with memory consolidation. Hippocampal SWR-dependent memory consolidation during sleep is often referred to as occurring during an "offline" state, dedicated to processing internally generated neural activity patterns rather than external stimuli. However, the brain is not fully disconnected from the environment during sleep. In particular, sounds heard during sleep are processed by a highly active auditory system which projects to brain regions in the medial temporal lobe, reflecting an anatomical pathway for sound modulation of hippocampal activity. While neural processing of salient sounds during sleep, such as those of a predator or an offspring, is evolutionarily adaptive, whether ongoing processing of environmental sounds during sleep interferes with SWR-dependent memory consolidation remains unknown. To address this question, we used a closed-loop system to deliver non-waking sound stimuli during or following SWRs in sleeping rats. We found that exposure to sounds during sleep suppressed the ripple power and reduced the rate of SWRs. Furthermore, sounds delivered during SWRs (On-SWR) suppressed ripple power significantly more than sounds delivered 2 seconds after SWRs (Off-SWR). Next, we tested the influence of sound presentation during sleep on memory consolidation. To this end, SWR-triggered sounds were applied during sleep sessions following learning of a conditioned place preference paradigm, in which rats learned a place-reward association. We found that On-SWR sound pairing during post-learning sleep induced a complete abolishment of memory retention 24 h following learning, while leaving memory retention immediately following sleep intact. In contrast, Off-SWR pairing weakened memory 24 h following learning as well as immediately following learning. Notably, On-SWR pairing induced a significantly larger impairment in memory 24 h after learning as compared to Off-SWR pairing. Together, these findings suggest that sounds heard during sleep suppress SWRs and memory consolidation, and that the magnitude of these effects are dependent on sound-SWR timing. These results suggest that exposure to environmental sounds during sleep may pose a risk for memory consolidation processes.
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Liu J, Xia T, Chen D, Yao Z, Zhu M, Antony JW, Lee TMC, Hu X. Item-specific neural representations during human sleep support long-term memory. PLoS Biol 2023; 21:e3002399. [PMID: 37983253 PMCID: PMC10695382 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3002399] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2023] [Revised: 12/04/2023] [Accepted: 10/20/2023] [Indexed: 11/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Understanding how individual memories are reactivated during sleep is essential in theorizing memory consolidation. Here, we employed the targeted memory reactivation (TMR) paradigm to unobtrusively replaying auditory memory cues during human participants' slow-wave sleep (SWS). Using representational similarity analysis (RSA) on cue-elicited electroencephalogram (EEG), we found temporally segregated and functionally distinct item-specific neural representations: the early post-cue EEG activity (within 0 to 2,000 ms) contained comparable item-specific representations for memory cues and control cues, signifying effective processing of auditory cues. Critically, the later EEG activity (2,500 to 2,960 ms) showed greater item-specific representations for post-sleep remembered items than for forgotten and control cues, indicating memory reprocessing. Moreover, these later item-specific neural representations were supported by concurrently increased spindles, particularly for items that had not been tested prior to sleep. These findings elucidated how external memory cues triggered item-specific neural representations during SWS and how such representations were linked to successful long-term memory. These results will benefit future research aiming to perturb specific memory episodes during sleep.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing Liu
- Department of Applied Social Sciences, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, People’s Republic of China
- The State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, People’s Republic of China
| | - Tao Xia
- The State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, People’s Republic of China
- Department of Psychology, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, People’s Republic of China
| | - Danni Chen
- The State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, People’s Republic of China
- Department of Psychology, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, People’s Republic of China
| | - Ziqing Yao
- The State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, People’s Republic of China
- Department of Psychology, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, People’s Republic of China
| | - Minrui Zhu
- The State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, People’s Republic of China
- Department of Psychology, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, People’s Republic of China
| | - James W. Antony
- Department of Psychology & Child Development, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, California, United States of America
| | - Tatia M. C. Lee
- The State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, People’s Republic of China
- Department of Psychology, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, People’s Republic of China
- Laboratory of Neuropsychology and Human Neuroscience, Department of Psychology, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, People’s Republic of China
| | - Xiaoqing Hu
- The State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, People’s Republic of China
- Department of Psychology, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, People’s Republic of China
- HKU-Shenzhen Institute of Research and Innovation, Shenzhen, People’s Republic of China
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Sarkis RA, Lam AD, Pavlova M, Locascio JJ, Putta S, Puri N, Pham J, Yih A, Marshall GA, Stickgold R. Epilepsy and sleep characteristics are associated with diminished 24-h memory retention in older adults with epilepsy. Epilepsia 2023; 64:2771-2780. [PMID: 37392445 PMCID: PMC10592425 DOI: 10.1111/epi.17707] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2023] [Revised: 06/28/2023] [Accepted: 06/29/2023] [Indexed: 07/03/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Individuals with epilepsy often have memory difficulties, and older adults with epilepsy are especially vulnerable, due to the additive effect of aging. The goal of this study was to assess factors that are associated with 24-h memory retention in older adults with epilepsy. METHODS Fifty-five adults with epilepsy, all aged >50 years, performed a declarative memory task involving the recall of the positions of 15 card pairs on a computer screen prior to a 24-h ambulatory electroencephalogram (EEG). We assessed the percentage of encoded card pairs that were correctly recalled after 24 h (24-h retention rate). EEGs were evaluated for the presence and frequency of scalp interictal epileptiform activity (IEA) and scored for total sleep. Global slow wave activity (SWA) power during non-rapid eye movement sleep was also calculated. RESULTS Forty-four participants successfully completed the memory task. Two were subsequently excluded due to seizures on EEG. The final cohort (n = 42) had a mean age of 64.3 ± 7.5 years, was 52% female, and had an average 24-h retention rate of 70.9% ± 30.2%. Predictors of 24-h retention based on multivariate regression analysis when controlling for age, sex, and education included number of antiseizure medications (β = -.20, p = .013), IEA frequency (β = -.08, p = .0094), and SWA power (β = +.002, p = .02). SIGNIFICANCE In older adults with epilepsy, greater frequency of IEA, reduced SWA power, and higher burden of antiseizure medications correlated with worse 24-h memory retention. These factors represent potential treatment targets to improve memory in older adults with epilepsy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rani A Sarkis
- Department of Neurology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Alice D Lam
- Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Milena Pavlova
- Department of Neurology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Joseph J Locascio
- Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Swapna Putta
- Department of Neurology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Nirajan Puri
- Department of Neurology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Jonathan Pham
- Department of Neurology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Alison Yih
- Department of Neurology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Gad A Marshall
- Department of Neurology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Robert Stickgold
- Department of Psychiatry, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
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Antony JW, Schechtman E. Reap while you sleep: Consolidation of memories differs by how they were sown. Hippocampus 2023; 33:922-935. [PMID: 36973868 PMCID: PMC10429120 DOI: 10.1002/hipo.23526] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2022] [Revised: 02/26/2023] [Accepted: 03/01/2023] [Indexed: 03/29/2023]
Abstract
Newly formed memories are spontaneously reactivated during sleep, leading to their strengthening. This reactivation process can be manipulated by reinstating learning-related stimuli during sleep, a technique termed targeted memory reactivation. Numerous studies have found that delivering cues during sleep improves memory for simple associations, in which one cue reactivates one tested memory. However, real-life memories often live in rich, complex networks of associations. In this review, we will examine recent forays into investigating how targeted sleep reactivation affects memories within complex paradigms, in which one cue can reactivate multiple tested memories. A common theme across studies is that reactivation consequences do not merely depend on whether memories reside in complex arrangements, but on how memories interact with one another during acquisition. We therefore emphasize how intricate study design details that alter the nature of learning and/or participant intentions impact the outcomes of sleep reactivation. In some cases, complex networks of memories interact harmoniously to bring about mutual memory benefits; in other cases, memories interact antagonistically and produce selective impairments in retrieval. Ultimately, although this burgeoning area of research has yet to be systematically explored, results suggest that the fate of reactivated stimuli within complex arrangements depends on how they were learned.
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Affiliation(s)
- James W. Antony
- Department of Psychology and Child Development, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, California, USA
| | - Eitan Schechtman
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, University of California, Irvine, California, USA
- Center for Neurobiology of Learning and Memory, University of California Irvine, Irvine, California, USA
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17
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Tal A, Schechtman E, Caughran B, Paller KA, Davachi L. The reach of reactivation: Effects of consciously-triggered versus unconsciously-triggered reactivation of associative memory. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.07.26.546400. [PMID: 37546839 PMCID: PMC10402076 DOI: 10.1101/2023.07.26.546400] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/08/2023]
Abstract
Newly formed memories are not passively stored for future retrieval; rather, they are reactivated offline and thereby strengthened and transformed. However, reactivation is not a uniform process: it occurs throughout different states of consciousness, including conscious rehearsal during wakefulness and unconscious processing during both wakefulness and sleep. In this study, we explore the consequences of reactivation during conscious and unconscious awake states. Forty-one participants learned associations consisting of adjective-object-position triads. Objects were clustered into distinct semantic groups (e.g., multiple fruits, vehicles, musical instruments) which allowed us to examine the consequences of reactivation on semantically-related memories. After an extensive learning phase, some triads were reactivated consciously, through cued retrieval, or unconsciously, through subliminal priming. In both conditions, the adjective was used as the cue. Reactivation impacted memory for the most distal association (i.e., the spatial position of associated objects) in a consciousness-dependent and memory-strength-dependent manner. First, conscious reactivation of a triad resulted in a weakening of other semantically related memories, but only those that were initially more accurate (i.e., memories with lower pre-reactivation spatial errors). This is similar to what has been previously demonstrated in studies employing retrieval-induced forgetting designs. Unconscious reactivation, on the other hand, benefited memory selectively for weak cued items. Semantically linked associations were not impaired, but rather integrated with the reactivated memory. Taken together, our results demonstrate that conscious and unconscious reactivation of memories during wakefulness have qualitatively different consequences on memory for distal associations. Effects are memory-strength-dependent, as has been shown for reactivation during sleep. Results support a consciousness-dependent inhibition account, according to which unconscious reactivation involves less inhibitory dynamics than conscious reactivation, thus allowing more liberal spread of activation. Our findings set the stage for additional exploration into the role of consciousness in memory structuring.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amir Tal
- Department of Psychology, Columbia University, New York, NY, 10027, USA
| | - Eitan Schechtman
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA, 92697, USA
- Center for Neurobiology of Learning and Memory, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA, 92697, USA
- Department of Psychology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, 60207, USA
| | - Bruce Caughran
- Department of Psychology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, 60207, USA
| | - Ken A Paller
- Department of Psychology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, 60207, USA
| | - Lila Davachi
- Department of Psychology, Columbia University, New York, NY, 10027, USA
- Nathan Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, Orangeburg, NY, 10962, USA
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18
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Xia T, Antony JW, Paller KA, Hu X. Targeted memory reactivation during sleep influences social bias as a function of slow-oscillation phase and delta power. Psychophysiology 2023; 60:e14224. [PMID: 36458473 PMCID: PMC10085833 DOI: 10.1111/psyp.14224] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2021] [Revised: 08/27/2022] [Accepted: 10/26/2022] [Indexed: 12/04/2022]
Abstract
To understand how memories are reactivated and consolidated during sleep, experimenters have employed the unobtrusive re-presentation of memory cues from a variety of pre-sleep learning tasks. Using this procedure, known as targeted memory reactivation (TMR), we previously found that reactivation of counter-social-bias training during post-training sleep could selectively enhance training effects in reducing unintentional social biases. Here, we describe re-analyses of electroencephalographic (EEG) data from this previous study to characterize neurophysiological correlates of TMR-induced bias reduction. We found that TMR benefits in bias reduction were associated with (a) the timing of memory-related cue presentation relative to the 0.1-1.5 Hz slow-oscillation phase and (b) cue-elicited EEG power within the 1-4 Hz delta range. Although cue delivery was at a fixed rate in this study and not contingent on the slow-oscillation phase, cues were found to be clustered in slow-oscillation upstates for those participants with stronger TMR benefits. Similarly, higher cue-elicited delta power 250-1000 ms after cue onset was also linked with larger TMR benefits. These electrophysiological results substantiate the claim that memory reactivation altered social bias in the original study, while also informing neural explanations of these benefits. Future research should consider these sleep physiology parameters in relation to TMR applications and to memory reactivation in general.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tao Xia
- Department of Psychology, The State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, China
| | - James W. Antony
- Department of Psychology, Center for Mind and Brain, University of California, Davis, USA
- Department of Psychology and Child Development, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, USA
| | - Ken A. Paller
- Department of Psychology and Cognitive Neuroscience Program, Northwestern University, USA
| | - Xiaoqing Hu
- Department of Psychology, The State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, China
- HKU, Shenzhen Institute of Research and Innovation, Shenzhen, China
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19
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Schechtman E, Heilberg J, Paller KA. Memory consolidation during sleep involves context reinstatement in humans. Cell Rep 2023; 42:112331. [PMID: 37014750 PMCID: PMC10545811 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2023.112331] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2022] [Revised: 02/07/2023] [Accepted: 03/19/2023] [Indexed: 04/05/2023] Open
Abstract
New memories are not quarantined from each other when first encoded; rather, they are interlinked with memories that were encoded in temporal proximity or that share semantic features. By selectively biasing memory processing during sleep, here we test whether context influences sleep consolidation. Participants first formed 18 idiosyncratic narratives, each linking four objects together. Before sleep, they also memorized an on-screen position for each object. During sleep, 12 object-specific sounds were unobtrusively presented, thereby cuing the corresponding spatial memories and impacting spatial recall as a function of initial memory strength. As hypothesized, we find that recall for non-cued objects contextually linked with cued objects also changed. Post-cue electrophysiological responses suggest that activity in the sigma band supports context reinstatement and predicts context-related memory benefits. Concurrently, context-specific electrophysiological activity patterns emerge during sleep. We conclude that reactivation of individual memories during sleep evokes reinstatement of their context, thereby impacting consolidation of associated knowledge.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eitan Schechtman
- Department of Psychology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208, USA; Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, University of California at Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA; Center for Neurobiology of Learning and Memory, University of California at Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA.
| | - Julia Heilberg
- Department of Psychology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208, USA
| | - Ken A Paller
- Department of Psychology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208, USA
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20
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Yuksel C, Denis D, Coleman J, Oh A, Cox R, Morgan A, Sato E, Stickgold R. Emotional memories are enhanced when reactivated in slow wave sleep, but impaired when reactivated in REM. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.03.01.530661. [PMID: 36909630 PMCID: PMC10002730 DOI: 10.1101/2023.03.01.530661] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/06/2023]
Abstract
Sleep supports memory consolidation. However, it is not completely clear how different sleep stages contribute to this process. While rapid eye movement sleep (REM) has been traditionally implicated in the processing of emotionally charged material, recent studies indicate a role for slow wave sleep (SWS) in strengthening the memories of emotional stimuli. Here, to directly examine which sleep stage is primarily involved in emotional memory consolidation, we used targeted memory reactivation (TMR) in REM and SWS during a daytime nap. We also examined neural oscillations associated with TMR-related changes in memory. Contrary to our hypothesis, reactivation of emotional stimuli during REM led to impaired memory. Meanwhile, reactivation of emotional stimuli in SWS improved memory and was strongly correlated with the product of times spent in REM and SWS (%SWS Ã- %REM). When this variable was taken into account, reactivation significantly enhanced memory, with larger reactivation benefits compared to reactivation in REM. Notably, sleep spindle activity was modulated by emotional valence, and delta/theta activity was correlated with the memory benefit for both emotional and neutral items. Finally, we found no evidence that emotional memories benefited from TMR more than did neutral ones. Our results provide direct evidence for a complementary role of both REM and SWS in emotional memory consolidation, and suggest that REM may separately facilitate forgetting. In addition, our findings expand upon recent evidence indicating a link between sleep spindles and emotional processing.
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21
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Whitmore NW, Paller KA. Sleep disruption by memory cues selectively weakens reactivated memories. Learn Mem 2023; 30:63-69. [PMID: 36921983 PMCID: PMC10027237 DOI: 10.1101/lm.053615.122] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2022] [Accepted: 02/14/2023] [Indexed: 03/17/2023]
Abstract
A widely accepted view in memory research is that recently stored information can be reactivated during sleep, leading to memory strengthening. Two recent studies have shown that this effect can be reversed in participants with highly disrupted sleep. To test whether weakening of reactivated memories can result directly from sleep disruption, in this experiment we varied the intensity of memory reactivation cues such that some produced sleep arousals. Prior to sleep, participants (local community members) learned the locations of 75 objects, each accompanied by a sound naturally associated with that object. Location recall was tested before and after sleep, and a subset of the sounds was presented during sleep to provoke reactivation of the corresponding locations. Reactivation with sleep arousal weakened memories, unlike the improvement typically found after reactivation without sleep arousal. We conclude that reactivated memories can be selectively weakened during sleep, and that memory reactivation may strengthen or weaken memories depending on additional factors such as concurrent sleep disruption.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nathan W Whitmore
- Department of Psychology, Cognitive Neuroscience Program, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois 02139, USA
- Fluid Interfaces Group, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 60208, USA
| | - Ken A Paller
- Department of Psychology, Cognitive Neuroscience Program, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois 02139, USA
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22
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Whitmore NW, Harris JC, Kovach T, Paller KA. Improving memory via automated targeted memory reactivation during sleep. J Sleep Res 2022; 31:e13731. [PMID: 36129154 PMCID: PMC9649863 DOI: 10.1111/jsr.13731] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2022] [Revised: 08/26/2022] [Accepted: 08/31/2022] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
A widely accepted view in memory research is that previously acquired information can be reactivated during sleep, leading to persistent memory storage. Targeted memory reactivation (TMR) was developed as a technique whereby specific memories can be reactivated during sleep using a sensory stimulus linked to prior learning. As a research tool, TMR can improve memory, raising the possibility that it may be useful for cognitive enhancement and clinical therapy. A major challenge for the expanded use of TMR is that a skilled operator must manually control stimulation, which is impractical in many settings. To address this limitation, we developed the SleepStim system for automated TMR in the home. SleepStim includes a smartwatch to collect movement and heart-rate data, plus a smartphone to emit auditory cues. A machine-learning model identifies periods of deep sleep and triggers TMR sounds within these periods. We tested whether this system could replicate the spatial-memory benefit of in-laboratory TMR. Participants learned locations of objects on a grid, and then half of the object locations were reactivated during sleep over 3 nights. Recall was tested each morning. In an experiment with 61 participants, the TMR effect was not significant but varied systematically with stimulus intensity; low-intensity but not high-intensity stimuli produced memory benefits. In a second experiment with 24 participants, we limited stimulus intensity and found that TMR reliably improved spatial memory, consistent with effects observed in laboratory studies. We conclude that SleepStim can effectively accomplish automated TMR, and that avoiding sleep disruption is critical for TMR benefits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nathan W. Whitmore
- Department of Psychology and Interdepartmental Neuroscience ProgramNorthwestern UniversityEvanstonIllinoisUSA
| | - Jasmine C. Harris
- Department of Psychology and Interdepartmental Neuroscience ProgramNorthwestern UniversityEvanstonIllinoisUSA
| | - Torin Kovach
- Department of Computer ScienceCarnegie Mellon UniversityPittsburghPennsylvaniaUSA
| | - Ken A. Paller
- Department of Psychology and Interdepartmental Neuroscience ProgramNorthwestern UniversityEvanstonIllinoisUSA
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23
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Electrophysiological markers of memory consolidation in the human brain when memories are reactivated during sleep. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2022; 119:e2123430119. [PMID: 36279460 PMCID: PMC9636913 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2123430119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Sleep contributes to memory consolidation, we presume, because memories are replayed during sleep. Understanding this aspect of consolidation can help with optimizing normal learning in many contexts and with treating memory disorders and other diseases. Here, we systematically manipulated sleep-based processing using targeted memory reactivation; brief sounds coupled with presleep learning were quietly presented again during sleep, producing 1) recall improvements for specific spatial memories associated with those sounds and 2) physiological responses in the sleep electroencephalogram. Neural activity in the hippocampus and adjacent medial temporal cortex was thus found in association with memory consolidation during sleep. These findings advance understanding of consolidation by linking beneficial memory changes during sleep to both memory reactivation and specific patterns of brain activity. Human accomplishments depend on learning, and effective learning depends on consolidation. Consolidation is the process whereby new memories are gradually stored in an enduring way in the brain so that they can be available when needed. For factual or event knowledge, consolidation is thought to progress during sleep as well as during waking states and to be mediated by interactions between hippocampal and neocortical networks. However, consolidation is difficult to observe directly but rather is inferred through behavioral observations. Here, we investigated overnight memory change by measuring electrical activity in and near the hippocampus. Electroencephalographic (EEG) recordings were made in five patients from electrodes implanted to determine whether a surgical treatment could relieve their seizure disorders. One night, while each patient slept in a hospital monitoring room, we recorded electrophysiological responses to 10 to 20 specific sounds that were presented very quietly, to avoid arousal. Half of the sounds had been associated with objects and their precise spatial locations that patients learned before sleep. After sleep, we found systematic improvements in spatial recall, replicating prior results. We assume that when the sounds were presented during sleep, they reactivated and strengthened corresponding spatial memories. Notably, the sounds also elicited oscillatory intracranial EEG activity, including increases in theta, sigma, and gamma EEG bands. Gamma responses, in particular, were consistently associated with the degree of improvement in spatial memory exhibited after sleep. We thus conclude that this electrophysiological activity in the hippocampus and adjacent medial temporal cortex reflects sleep-based enhancement of memory storage.
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Joensen BH, Harrington MO, Berens SC, Cairney SA, Gaskell MG, Horner AJ. Targeted memory reactivation during sleep can induce forgetting of overlapping memories. LEARNING & MEMORY (COLD SPRING HARBOR, N.Y.) 2022; 29:401-411. [PMID: 36253007 PMCID: PMC9578373 DOI: 10.1101/lm.053594.122] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2022] [Accepted: 08/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Memory reactivation during sleep can shape new memories into a long-term form. Reactivation of memories can be induced via the delivery of auditory cues during sleep. Although this targeted memory reactivation (TMR) approach can strengthen newly acquired memories, research has tended to focus on single associative memories. It is less clear how TMR affects retention for overlapping associative memories. This is critical, given that repeated retrieval of overlapping associations during wake can lead to forgetting, a phenomenon known as retrieval-induced forgetting (RIF). We asked whether a similar pattern of forgetting occurs when TMR is used to cue reactivation of overlapping pairwise associations during sleep. Participants learned overlapping pairs—learned separately, interleaved with other unrelated pairs. During sleep, we cued a subset of overlapping pairs using TMR. While TMR increased retention for the first encoded pairs, memory decreased for the second encoded pairs. This pattern of retention was only present for pairs not tested prior to sleep. The results suggest that TMR can lead to forgetting, an effect similar to RIF during wake. However, this effect did not extend to memories that had been strengthened via retrieval prior to sleep. We therefore provide evidence for a reactivation-induced forgetting effect during sleep.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bárður H Joensen
- Department of Psychology, University of York, York YO10 5DD, United Kingdom.,Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London, London WC1N 3AZ, United Kingdom.,Institute of Neurology, University College London, London WC1N 3BG, United Kingdom
| | | | - Sam C Berens
- School of Psychology, University of Sussex, Falmer BN1 9QH, United Kingdom
| | - Scott A Cairney
- Department of Psychology, University of York, York YO10 5DD, United Kingdom.,York Biomedical Research Institute, University of York, York YO10 5NG, United Kingdom
| | - M Gareth Gaskell
- Department of Psychology, University of York, York YO10 5DD, United Kingdom.,York Biomedical Research Institute, University of York, York YO10 5NG, United Kingdom
| | - Aidan J Horner
- Department of Psychology, University of York, York YO10 5DD, United Kingdom.,York Biomedical Research Institute, University of York, York YO10 5NG, United Kingdom
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25
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Martini M, Wasmeier JR, Talamini F, Huber SE, Sachse P. Wakeful resting and listening to music contrast their effects on verbal long-term memory in dependence on word concreteness. Cogn Res Princ Implic 2022; 7:80. [PMID: 36057696 PMCID: PMC9440969 DOI: 10.1186/s41235-022-00415-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2021] [Accepted: 06/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
AbstractWakeful resting and listening to music are powerful means to modulate memory. How these activities affect memory when directly compared has not been tested so far. In two experiments, participants encoded and immediately recalled two word lists followed by either 6 min wakefully resting or 6 min listening to music. The results of Experiment 1 show that both post-encoding conditions have a similar effect on memory after 1 day. In Experiment 2, we explored the possibility that less concrete words, i.e. lower in imageability than in Experiment 1, are differently affected by the two post-encoding conditions. The results of Experiment 2 show that, when words are less concrete, more words are retained after 1 day when encoding is followed by wakeful resting rather than listening to music. These findings indicate that the effects of wakeful resting and listening to music on memory consolidation are moderated by the concreteness of the encoded material.
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26
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Ashton JE, Staresina BP, Cairney SA. Sleep bolsters schematically incongruent memories. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0269439. [PMID: 35749391 PMCID: PMC9231735 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0269439] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2021] [Accepted: 05/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Our ability to recall memories is improved when sleep follows learning, suggesting that sleep facilitates memory consolidation. A number of factors are thought to influence the impact of sleep on newly learned information, such as whether or not we rehearse that information (e.g. via restudy or retrieval practice), or the extent to which the information is consistent with our pre-existing schematic knowledge. In this pre-registered, online study, we examined the effects of both rehearsal and schematic congruency on overnight consolidation. Participants learned noun-colour pairings (e.g. elephant-red) and rated each pairing as plausible or implausible before completing a baseline memory assessment. Afterwards, participants engaged in a period of restudy or retrieval practice for the pairings, and then entered a 12 h retention interval of overnight sleep or daytime wakefulness. Follow-up assessments were completed immediately after sleep or wake, and again 24 h after learning. Our data indicated that overnight consolidation was amplified for restudied relative to retested noun-colour pairings, but only when sleep occurred soon after learning. Furthermore, whereas plausible (i.e. schematically congruent) pairings were generally better remembered than implausible (i.e. schematically incongruent) pairings, the benefits of sleep were stronger for implausible relative to plausible memories. These findings challenge the notion that schema-conformant memories are preferentially strengthened during post-learning sleep.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Scott A. Cairney
- Department of Psychology, University of York, York, United Kingdom
- York Biomedical Research Institute, University of York, York, United Kingdom
- * E-mail:
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27
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Sound disrupts sleep-associated brain oscillations in rodents in a meaning-dependent manner. Sci Rep 2022; 12:6051. [PMID: 35410339 PMCID: PMC9001723 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-09457-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2021] [Accepted: 03/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
AbstractSleep is essential but places animals at risk. Filtering acoustic information according to its relevance, a process generally known as sensory gating, is crucial during sleep to ensure a balance between rest and danger detection. The mechanisms of this sensory gating and its specificity are not understood. Here, we tested the effect that sounds of different meaning have on sleep-associated ongoing oscillations. We recorded EEG and EMG from mice during REM and NREM sleep while presenting sounds with or without behavioural relevance. We found that sound presentation per se, in the form of a neutral sound, elicited a weak or no change in the power of sleep-state-dependent EEG during REM and NREM sleep. In contrast, the presentation of a sound previously conditioned in an aversive task, elicited a clear and fast decrease in the EEG power during both sleep phases, suggesting a transition to lighter sleep without awakening. The observed changes generally weakened over training days and were not present in animals that failed to learn. Interestingly, the effect could be generalized to unfamiliar neutral sounds if presented following conditioned training, an effect that depended on sleep phase and sound type. The data demonstrate that sounds are differentially gated during sleep depending on their meaning and that this process is reflected in disruption of sleep-associated brain oscillations without behavioural arousal.
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28
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Wang JY, Heck KL, Born J, Ngo HVV, Diekelmann S. No difference between slow oscillation up- and down-state cueing for memory consolidation during sleep. J Sleep Res 2022; 31:e13562. [PMID: 35166422 DOI: 10.1111/jsr.13562] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2021] [Revised: 01/21/2022] [Accepted: 01/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
The beneficial effects of sleep for memory consolidation are assumed to rely on the reactivation of memories in conjunction with the coordinated interplay of sleep rhythms like slow oscillations and spindles. Specifically, slow oscillations are assumed to provide the temporal frame for spindles to occur in the slow oscillations up-states, enabling a redistribution of reactivated information within hippocampal-neocortical networks for long-term storage. Memory reactivation can also be triggered externally by presenting learning-associated cues (like odours or sounds) during sleep, but it is presently unclear whether there is an optimal time-window for the presentation of such cues in relation to the phase of the slow oscillations. In the present within-subject comparison, participants (n = 16) learnt word-pairs visually presented with auditory cues of the first syllable. These syllables were subsequently used for real-time cueing either in the up- or down-state of endogenous slow oscillations. Contrary to our hypothesis, we found differences in memory performance neither between up- and down-state cueing, nor between word-pairs that were cued versus uncued. In the up-state cueing condition, higher amounts of rapid eye movement sleep were associated with better memory for cued contents, whereas higher amounts of slow-wave sleep were associated with better memory for uncued contents. Evoked response analyses revealed signs of cue processing in both conditions. Interestingly, both up- and down-state cueing evoked a similar spindle response with the induced slow oscillations up-state at ~1000 ms post-cue. We speculate that our cueing procedure triggered generalised reactivation processes that facilitated the consolidation of both cued and uncued memories irrespective of the slow oscillation phase.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing-Yi Wang
- Institute of Medical Psychology and Behavioral Neurobiology, University Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.,State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning and IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Faculty of Psychology at Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Katharina L Heck
- Institute of Medical Psychology and Behavioral Neurobiology, University Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Jan Born
- Institute of Medical Psychology and Behavioral Neurobiology, University Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.,Centre for Integrative Neuroscience, University Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Hong-Viet V Ngo
- Department of Psychology, University of Lübeck, Lübeck, Germany
| | - Susanne Diekelmann
- Institute of Medical Psychology and Behavioral Neurobiology, University Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.,Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
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29
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Zhu R, Ni Z, Tao R, Cheng J, Pang L, Zhang S, Zhang Y, Xue Y, Ma Y, Sun W, Lu L, Deng J, Sun H. Exposure to Olfactory Alcohol Cues During Non-rapid Eye Movement Sleep Did Not Decrease Craving in Patients With Alcohol Dependence. Front Psychiatry 2022; 13:837573. [PMID: 35432045 PMCID: PMC9010533 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2022.837573] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2021] [Accepted: 02/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES Cue exposure therapy (CET) has been used to reduce alcohol use, but the effect of CET during sleep on alcohol dependence (AD) is unclear. The present study examined the effect of repeated exposure to an olfactory stimulus during non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep on cue reactivity and craving in patients with AD. METHODS Thirty-five patients with AD were enrolled according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-IV (DSM-IV). All the subjects were randomly assigned to the experimental or control group. The experimental group was exposed to alcohol odor for 10 min during NREM sleep. The other group (controls) was exposed to water [control stimulus (CtrS)] for 10 min during NREM sleep. Demographic, alcohol-related, and clinical characteristics were collected at baseline. A cue-reactivity test was conducted before and after exposure to evaluate the effect of memory manipulation on acute response to an alcohol stimulus. RESULTS There were no significant time × group interactions according to the visual analog scale (VAS) score of craving intensity, skin conductance response (SCR), systolic blood pressure (SBP), and diastolic blood pressure (DBP; all p > 0.05). Two-way ANOVA showed significant main effects of time on SCR [F (1,33) = 4.453, p = 0.043], SBP [F (1,33) = 14.532, p = 0.001], DBP [F (1,33) = 8.327, p = 0.007], Craving-VAS [F (1,33) = 1.997, p = 0.167] in two groups. CONCLUSION Exposure to olfactory alcohol cues during NREM sleep had no significant effect on alcohol craving in subjects with AD during hospitalization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ran Zhu
- NHC Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Peking University Institute of Mental Health, Peking University Sixth Hospital, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Zhaojun Ni
- NHC Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Peking University Institute of Mental Health, Peking University Sixth Hospital, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Ran Tao
- NHC Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Peking University Institute of Mental Health, Peking University Sixth Hospital, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Jun Cheng
- Anhui Mental Health Center, Hefei, China
| | | | - Shun Zhang
- Kailuan Mental Health Center, Tangshan, China
| | - Yang Zhang
- NHC Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Peking University Institute of Mental Health, Peking University Sixth Hospital, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Yanxue Xue
- National Institute on Drug Dependence, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Yundong Ma
- NHC Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Peking University Institute of Mental Health, Peking University Sixth Hospital, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Wei Sun
- NHC Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Peking University Institute of Mental Health, Peking University Sixth Hospital, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Lin Lu
- NHC Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Peking University Institute of Mental Health, Peking University Sixth Hospital, Peking University, Beijing, China.,National Institute on Drug Dependence, Peking University, Beijing, China.,Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, PKU-IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Jiahui Deng
- NHC Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Peking University Institute of Mental Health, Peking University Sixth Hospital, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Hongqiang Sun
- NHC Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Peking University Institute of Mental Health, Peking University Sixth Hospital, Peking University, Beijing, China
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30
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Ashton JE, Cairney SA. Future-relevant memories are not selectively strengthened during sleep. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0258110. [PMID: 34735464 PMCID: PMC8568116 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0258110] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2021] [Accepted: 09/18/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Overnight consolidation processes are thought to operate in a selective manner, such that important (i.e. future-relevant) memories are strengthened ahead of irrelevant information. Using an online protocol, we sought to replicate the seminal finding that the memory benefits of sleep are enhanced when people expect a future test [Wilhelm et al., 2011]. Participants memorised verbal paired associates to a criterion of 60 percent (Experiment 1) or 40 percent correct (Experiment 2) before a 12-hour delay containing overnight sleep (sleep group) or daytime wakefulness (wake group). Critically, half of the participants were informed that they would be tested again the following day, whereas the other half were told that they would carry out a different set of tasks. We observed a robust memory benefit of overnight consolidation, with the sleep group outperforming the wake group in both experiments. However, knowledge of an upcoming test had no impact on sleep-associated consolidation in either experiment, suggesting that overnight memory processes were not enhanced for future-relevant information. These findings, together with other failed replication attempts, show that sleep does not provide selective support to memories that are deemed relevant for the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer E. Ashton
- Department of Psychology, University of York, York, United Kingdom
- * E-mail:
| | - Scott A. Cairney
- Department of Psychology, University of York, York, United Kingdom
- York Biomedical Research Institute, University of York, York, United Kingdom
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31
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Baena D, Cantero JL, Atienza M. Stability of neural encoding moderates the contribution of sleep and repeated testing to memory consolidation. Neurobiol Learn Mem 2021; 185:107529. [PMID: 34597816 DOI: 10.1016/j.nlm.2021.107529] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2021] [Revised: 09/03/2021] [Accepted: 09/24/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
There is evidence suggesting that online consolidation during retrieval-mediated learning interacts with offline consolidation during subsequent sleep to transform memory. Here we investigate whether this interaction persists when retrieval-mediated learning follows post-training sleep and whether the direction of this interaction is conditioned by the quality of encoding resulting from manipulation of the amount of sleep on the previous night. The quality of encoding was determined by computing the degree of similarity between EEG-activity patterns across restudy of face pairs in two groups of young participants, one who slept the last 4 h of the pre-training night, and another who slept 8 h. The offline consolidation was assessed by computing the degree of coupling between slow oscillations (SOs) and spindles (SPs) during post-training sleep, while the online consolidation was evaluated by determining the degree of similarity between EEG-activity patterns recorded during the study phase and during repeated recognition of either the same face pair (i.e., specific similarity) or face pairs sharing sex and profession (i.e., categorical similarity) to evaluate differentiation and generalization, respectively. The study and recognition phases were separated by a night of normal sleep duration. Mixed-effects models revealed that the stability of neural encoding moderated the relationship between sleep- and retrieval-mediated consolidation processes over left frontal regions. For memories showing lower encoding stability, the enhanced SO-SP coupling was associated with increased reinstatement of category-specific encoding-related activity at the expense of content-specific activity, whilst the opposite occurred for memories showing greater encoding stability. Overall, these results suggest that offline consolidation during post-training sleep interacts with online consolidation during retrieval the next day to favor the reorganization of memory contents, by increasing specificity of stronger memories and generalization of the weaker ones.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Baena
- Laboratory of Functional Neuroscience, Universidad Pablo de Olavide, Seville 41013, Spain
| | - Jose L Cantero
- Laboratory of Functional Neuroscience, Universidad Pablo de Olavide, Seville 41013, Spain; CIBERNED, Network Center for Biomedical Research in Neurodegenerative Diseases, Spain
| | - Mercedes Atienza
- Laboratory of Functional Neuroscience, Universidad Pablo de Olavide, Seville 41013, Spain; CIBERNED, Network Center for Biomedical Research in Neurodegenerative Diseases, Spain.
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32
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Prefrontal Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation Globally Improves Learning but Does Not Selectively Potentiate the Benefits of Targeted Memory Reactivation on Awake Memory Consolidation. Brain Sci 2021; 11:brainsci11081104. [PMID: 34439722 PMCID: PMC8393859 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci11081104] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2021] [Revised: 08/17/2021] [Accepted: 08/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Targeted memory reactivation (TMR) and transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) can enhance memory consolidation. It is currently unknown whether TMR reinforced by simultaneous tDCS has superior efficacy. In this study, we investigated the complementary effect of TMR and bilateral tDCS on the consolidation of emotionally neutral and negative declarative memories. Participants learned neutral and negative word pairs. Each word pair was presented with an emotionally compatible sound. Following learning, participants spent a 20 min retention interval awake under four possible conditions: (1) TMR alone (i.e., replay of 50% of the associated sounds), (2) TMR combined with anodal stimulation of the left DLPFC, (3) TMR combined with anodal stimulation of the right DLPFC and (4) TMR with sham tDCS. Results evidenced selective memory enhancement for the replayed stimuli in the TMR-only and TMR-sham conditions, which confirms a specific effect of TMR on memory. However, memory was enhanced at higher levels for all learned items (irrespective of TMR) in the TMR-anodal right and TMR-anodal left tDCS conditions, suggesting that the beneficial effects of tDCS overshadow the specific effects of TMR. Emotionally negative memories were not modulated by tDCS hemispheric polarity. We conclude that electrical stimulation of the DLPFC during the post-learning period globally benefits memory consolidation but does not potentiate the specific benefits of TMR.
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33
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Witkowski S, Noh S, Lee V, Grimaldi D, Preston AR, Paller KA. Does memory reactivation during sleep support generalization at the cost of memory specifics? Neurobiol Learn Mem 2021; 182:107442. [PMID: 33892076 PMCID: PMC8187329 DOI: 10.1016/j.nlm.2021.107442] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2020] [Revised: 03/11/2021] [Accepted: 04/18/2021] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Sleep is important for memory, but does it favor consolidation of specific details or extraction of generalized information? Both may occur together when memories are reactivated during sleep, or a loss of certain memory details may facilitate generalization. To examine these issues, we tested memory in participants who viewed landscape paintings by six artists. Paintings were cropped to show only a section of the scene. During a learning phase, each painting section was presented with the artist's name and with a nonverbal sound that had been uniquely associated with that artist. In a test of memory for specifics, participants were shown arrays of six painting sections, all by the same artist. Participants attempted to select the one that was seen in the learning phase. Generalization was tested by asking participants to view new paintings and, for each one, decide which of the six artists created it. After this testing, participants had a 90-minute sleep opportunity with polysomnographic monitoring. When slow-wave sleep was detected, three of the sound cues associated with the artists were repeatedly presented without waking the participants. After sleep, participants were again tested for memory specifics and generalization. Memory reactivation during sleep due to the sound cues led to a relative decline in accuracy on the specifics test, which could indicate the transition to a loss of detail that facilitates generalization, particularly details such as the borders. Generalization performance showed very little change after sleep and was unaffected by the sound cues. Although results tentatively implicate sleep in memory transformation, further research is needed to examine memory change across longer time periods.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Witkowski
- Department of Psychology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, United States.
| | - Sharon Noh
- Department of Psychology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, United States; Center for Learning and Memory, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, United States
| | - Victoria Lee
- Department of Psychology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, United States
| | - Daniela Grimaldi
- Department of Neurology, Northwestern University, Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Alison R Preston
- Department of Psychology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, United States; Center for Learning and Memory, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, United States; Department of Neuroscience, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, United States
| | - Ken A Paller
- Department of Psychology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, United States
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34
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Schreiner T, Petzka M, Staudigl T, Staresina BP. Endogenous memory reactivation during sleep in humans is clocked by slow oscillation-spindle complexes. Nat Commun 2021; 12:3112. [PMID: 34035303 PMCID: PMC8149676 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-23520-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2020] [Accepted: 05/04/2021] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Sleep is thought to support memory consolidation via reactivation of prior experiences, with particular electrophysiological sleep signatures (slow oscillations (SOs) and sleep spindles) gating the information flow between relevant brain areas. However, empirical evidence for a role of endogenous memory reactivation (i.e., without experimentally delivered memory cues) for consolidation in humans is lacking. Here, we devised a paradigm in which participants acquired associative memories before taking a nap. Multivariate decoding was then used to capture endogenous memory reactivation during non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep in surface EEG recordings. Our results reveal reactivation of learning material during SO-spindle complexes, with the precision of SO-spindle coupling predicting reactivation strength. Critically, reactivation strength (i.e. classifier evidence in favor of the previously studied stimulus category) in turn predicts the level of consolidation across participants. These results elucidate the memory function of sleep in humans and emphasize the importance of SOs and spindles in clocking endogenous consolidation processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Schreiner
- Department of Psychology, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Munich, Germany
| | - Marit Petzka
- School of Psychology and Centre for Human Brain Health, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
| | - Tobias Staudigl
- Department of Psychology, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Munich, Germany
| | - Bernhard P Staresina
- School of Psychology and Centre for Human Brain Health, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK.
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35
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Sleep Spindles Preferentially Consolidate Weakly Encoded Memories. J Neurosci 2021; 41:4088-4099. [PMID: 33741722 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.0818-20.2021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2020] [Revised: 03/11/2021] [Accepted: 03/15/2021] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Sleep has been shown to be critical for memory consolidation, with some research suggesting that certain memories are prioritized for consolidation. Initial strength of a memory appears to be an important boundary condition in determining which memories are consolidated during sleep. However, the role of consolidation-mediating oscillations, such as sleep spindles and slow oscillations, in this preferential consolidation has not been explored. Here, 54 human participants (76% female) studied pairs of words to three distinct encoding strengths, with recall being tested immediately following learning and again 6 h later. Thirty-six had a 2 h nap opportunity following learning, while the remaining 18 remained awake throughout. Results showed that, across 6 h awake, weakly encoded memories deteriorated the fastest. In the nap group, however, this effect was attenuated, with forgetting rates equivalent across encoding strengths. Within the nap group, consolidation of weakly encoded items was associated with fast sleep spindle density during non-rapid eye movement sleep. Moreover, sleep spindles that were coupled to slow oscillations predicted the consolidation of weak memories independently of uncoupled sleep spindles. These relationships were unique to weakly encoded items, with spindles not correlating with memory for intermediate or strong items. This suggests that sleep spindles facilitate memory consolidation, guided in part by memory strength.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Given the countless pieces of information we encode each day, how does the brain select which memories to commit to long-term storage? Sleep is known to aid in memory consolidation, and it appears that certain memories are prioritized to receive this benefit. Here, we found that, compared with staying awake, sleep was associated with better memory for weakly encoded information. This suggests that sleep helps attenuate the forgetting of weak memory traces. Fast sleep spindles, a hallmark oscillation of non-rapid eye movement sleep, mediate consolidation processes. We extend this to show that fast spindles were uniquely associated with the consolidation of weakly encoded memories. This provides new evidence for preferential sleep-based consolidation and elucidates a physiological correlate of this benefit.
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36
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Schechtman E, Lampe A, Wilson BJ, Kwon E, Anderson MC, Paller KA. Sleep reactivation did not boost suppression-induced forgetting. Sci Rep 2021; 11:1383. [PMID: 33446812 PMCID: PMC7809483 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-80671-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2020] [Accepted: 12/23/2020] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Sleep's role in memory consolidation is widely acknowledged, but its role in weakening memories is still debated. Memory weakening is evolutionary beneficial and makes an integral contribution to cognition. We sought evidence on whether sleep-based memory reactivation can facilitate memory suppression. Participants learned pairs of associable words (e.g., DIET-CREAM) and were then exposed to hint words (e.g., DIET) and instructed to either recall ("think") or suppress ("no-think") the corresponding target words (e.g., CREAM). As expected, suppression impaired retention when tested immediately after a 90-min nap. To test if reactivation could selectively enhance memory suppression during sleep, we unobtrusively presented one of two sounds conveying suppression instructions during sleep, followed by hint words. Results showed that targeted memory reactivation did not enhance suppression-induced forgetting. Although not predicted, post-hoc analyses revealed that sleep cues strengthened memory, but only for suppressed pairs that were weakly encoded before sleep. The results leave open the question of whether memory suppression can be augmented during sleep, but suggest strategies for future studies manipulating memory suppression during sleep. Additionally, our findings support the notion that sleep reactivation is particularly beneficial for weakly encoded information, which may be prioritized for consolidation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eitan Schechtman
- Department of Psychology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, 60208, USA.
| | - Anna Lampe
- Department of Psychology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, 60208, USA
| | - Brianna J Wilson
- Department of Psychology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, 60208, USA
| | - Eunbi Kwon
- Department of Psychology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, 60208, USA
| | - Michael C Anderson
- MRC Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 7EF, UK
| | - Ken A Paller
- Department of Psychology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, 60208, USA
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37
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Schechtman E, Antony JW, Lampe A, Wilson BJ, Norman KA, Paller KA. Multiple memories can be simultaneously reactivated during sleep as effectively as a single memory. Commun Biol 2021; 4:25. [PMID: 33398075 PMCID: PMC7782847 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-020-01512-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2020] [Accepted: 11/20/2020] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Memory consolidation involves the reactivation of memory traces during sleep. If different memories are reactivated each night, how much do they interfere with one another? We examined whether reactivating multiple memories incurs a cost to sleep-related benefits by contrasting reactivation of multiple memories versus single memories during sleep. First, participants learned the on-screen location of different objects. Each object was part of a semantically coherent group comprised of either one, two, or six items (e.g., six different cats). During sleep, sounds were unobtrusively presented to reactivate memories for half of the groups (e.g., "meow"). Memory benefits for cued versus non-cued items were independent of the number of items in the group, suggesting that reactivation occurs in a simultaneous and promiscuous manner. Intriguingly, sleep spindles and delta-theta power modulations were sensitive to group size, reflecting the extent of previous learning. Our results demonstrate that multiple memories may be consolidated in parallel without compromising each memory's sleep-related benefit. These findings highlight alternative models for parallel consolidation that should be considered in future studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eitan Schechtman
- Department of Psychology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, 60208, USA.
| | - James W Antony
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute and Department of Psychology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, 08544, USA
| | - Anna Lampe
- Department of Psychology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, 60208, USA
| | - Brianna J Wilson
- Department of Psychology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, 60208, USA
| | - Kenneth A Norman
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute and Department of Psychology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, 08544, USA
| | - Ken A Paller
- Department of Psychology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, 60208, USA
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38
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Petzka M, Charest I, Balanos GM, Staresina BP. Does sleep-dependent consolidation favour weak memories? Cortex 2021; 134:65-75. [PMID: 33259969 PMCID: PMC7805594 DOI: 10.1016/j.cortex.2020.10.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2020] [Revised: 08/31/2020] [Accepted: 10/02/2020] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Sleep stabilizes newly acquired memories, a process referred to as memory consolidation. According to recent studies, sleep-dependent consolidation processes might be deployed to different extents for different types of memories. In particular, weaker memories might benefit greater from post-learning sleep than stronger memories. However, under standard testing conditions, sleep-dependent consolidation effects for stronger memories might be obscured by ceiling effects. To test this possibility, we devised a new memory paradigm (Memory Arena) in which participants learned temporospatial arrangements of objects. Prior to a delay period spent either awake or asleep, training thresholds were controlled to yield relatively weak or relatively strong memories. After the delay period, retrieval difficulty was controlled via the presence or absence of a retroactive interference task. Under standard testing conditions (no interference), a sleep-dependent consolidation effect was indeed observed for weaker memories only. Critically though, with increased retrieval demands, sleep-dependent consolidation effects were seen for both weaker and stronger memories. These results suggest that all memories are consolidated during sleep, but that memories of different strengths require different testing conditions to unveil their benefit from post-learning sleep.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marit Petzka
- School of Psychology and Centre for Human Brain Health, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
| | - Ian Charest
- School of Psychology and Centre for Human Brain Health, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
| | - George M Balanos
- School of Sport, Exercise and Rehabilitation Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
| | - Bernhard P Staresina
- School of Psychology and Centre for Human Brain Health, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK.
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39
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Denis D, Schapiro AC, Poskanzer C, Bursal V, Charon L, Morgan A, Stickgold R. The roles of item exposure and visualization success in the consolidation of memories across wake and sleep. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2020; 27:451-456. [PMID: 33060281 PMCID: PMC7571267 DOI: 10.1101/lm.051383.120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2020] [Accepted: 08/17/2020] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Memory consolidation during sleep does not benefit all memories equally. Initial encoding strength appears to play a role in governing where sleep effects are seen, but it is unclear whether sleep preferentially consolidates weaker or stronger memories. We manipulated encoding strength along two dimensions—the number of item presentations, and success at visualizing each item, in a sample of 82 participants. Sleep benefited memory of successfully visualized items only. Within these, the sleep–wake difference was largest for more weakly encoded information. These results suggest that the benefit of sleep on memory is seen most clearly for items that are encoded to a lower initial strength.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dan Denis
- Department of Psychiatry, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, Massachusetts 02215, USA.,Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA
| | - Anna C Schapiro
- Department of Psychology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, USA
| | - Craig Poskanzer
- Department of Psychiatry, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, Massachusetts 02215, USA
| | - Verda Bursal
- Department of Psychiatry, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, Massachusetts 02215, USA
| | - Lily Charon
- Department of Psychiatry, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, Massachusetts 02215, USA
| | - Alexandra Morgan
- Department of Psychiatry, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, Massachusetts 02215, USA
| | - Robert Stickgold
- Department of Psychiatry, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, Massachusetts 02215, USA.,Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA
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40
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Paller KA, Creery JD, Schechtman E. Memory and Sleep: How Sleep Cognition Can Change the Waking Mind for the Better. Annu Rev Psychol 2020; 72:123-150. [PMID: 32946325 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-psych-010419-050815] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
The memories that we retain can serve many functions. They guide our future actions, form a scaffold for constructing the self, and continue to shape both the self and the way we perceive the world. Although most memories we acquire each day are forgotten, those integrated within the structure of multiple prior memories tend to endure. A rapidly growing body of research is steadily elucidating how the consolidation of memories depends on their reactivation during sleep. Processing memories during sleep not only helps counteract their weakening but also supports problem solving, creativity, and emotional regulation. Yet, sleep-based processing might become maladaptive, such as when worries are excessively revisited. Advances in research on memory and sleep can thus shed light on how this processing influences our waking life, which can further inspire the development of novel strategies for decreasing detrimental rumination-like activity during sleep and for promoting beneficial sleep cognition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ken A Paller
- Department of Psychology and Cognitive Neuroscience Program, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois 60208, USA; , ,
| | - Jessica D Creery
- Department of Psychology and Cognitive Neuroscience Program, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois 60208, USA; , ,
| | - Eitan Schechtman
- Department of Psychology and Cognitive Neuroscience Program, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois 60208, USA; , ,
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41
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Tamminen J, Newbury CR, Crowley R, Vinals L, Cevoli B, Rastle K. Generalisation in language learning can withstand total sleep deprivation. Neurobiol Learn Mem 2020; 173:107274. [PMID: 32653634 DOI: 10.1016/j.nlm.2020.107274] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2019] [Revised: 05/28/2020] [Accepted: 07/03/2020] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Research suggests that sleep plays a vital role in memory. We tested the impact of total sleep deprivation on adults' memory for a newly learned writing system and on their ability to generalise this knowledge to read untrained novel words. We trained participants to read fictitious words printed in a novel artificial orthography, while depriving them of sleep the night after learning (Experiment 1) or the night before learning (Experiment 2). Following two nights of recovery sleep, and again 10 days later, participants were tested on trained words and untrained words, and performance was compared to control groups who had not undergone sleep deprivation. Participants showed a high degree of accuracy in learning the trained words and in generalising their knowledge to untrained words. There was little evidence of impact of sleep deprivation on memory or generalisation. These data support emerging theories which suggest sleep-associated memory consolidation can be accelerated or entirely bypassed under certain conditions, and that such conditions also facilitate generalisation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jakke Tamminen
- Department of Psychology, Royal Holloway, University of London, Egham, TW20 0EX, United Kingdom.
| | - Chloe R Newbury
- Department of Psychology, Royal Holloway, University of London, Egham, TW20 0EX, United Kingdom.
| | - Rebecca Crowley
- Department of Psychology, Royal Holloway, University of London, Egham, TW20 0EX, United Kingdom.
| | - Lydia Vinals
- Department of Psychology, Royal Holloway, University of London, Egham, TW20 0EX, United Kingdom.
| | - Benedetta Cevoli
- Department of Psychology, Royal Holloway, University of London, Egham, TW20 0EX, United Kingdom.
| | - Kathleen Rastle
- Department of Psychology, Royal Holloway, University of London, Egham, TW20 0EX, United Kingdom.
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42
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Mallett R. Partial memory reinstatement while (lucid) dreaming to change the dream environment. Conscious Cogn 2020; 83:102974. [PMID: 32615463 DOI: 10.1016/j.concog.2020.102974] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2020] [Revised: 04/30/2020] [Accepted: 06/04/2020] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Lucid dreams often coincide with having control over dream events in real-time, although the limitations of dream control are not completely understood. The current study probed the ability of lucid dreamers to reinstate waking scene memories while dreaming. After brief exposure to an experimental scene, participants were asked to reinstate the scene while lucid dreaming (i.e., change dream scenery to match real-world scene). Qualitative analysis revealed that successful dream scene reinstatements were overwhelmingly inaccurate with respect to the original experimental scene. Importantly, reinstatement inaccuracies held even when the dreamer was aware of them during the dream, suggesting a dissociation between memory access while dreaming and dream imagery. The ability to change the environment of a dream speaks to the high amount of lucid dream control, yet the inaccuracies speak to a lack of detailed control. Reinstating context during lucid sleep offers an experimental method to investigate sleep, dreams, and memory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Remington Mallett
- Department of Psychology, University of Missouri at St. Louis, USA; Department of Psychology, University of Texas at Austin, USA.
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43
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Schäfer SK, Wirth BE, Staginnus M, Becker N, Michael T, Sopp MR. Sleep's impact on emotional recognition memory: A meta-analysis of whole-night, nap, and REM sleep effects. Sleep Med Rev 2020; 51:101280. [DOI: 10.1016/j.smrv.2020.101280] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2019] [Revised: 12/23/2019] [Accepted: 01/02/2020] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
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44
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Gao C, Fillmore P, Scullin MK. Classical music, educational learning, and slow wave sleep: A targeted memory reactivation experiment. Neurobiol Learn Mem 2020; 171:107206. [PMID: 32145407 DOI: 10.1016/j.nlm.2020.107206] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2019] [Revised: 01/20/2020] [Accepted: 03/02/2020] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Poor sleep in college students compromises the memory consolidation processes necessary to retain course materials. A solution may lie in targeting reactivation of memories during sleep (TMR). Fifty undergraduate students completed a college-level microeconomics lecture (mathematics-based) while listening to distinctive classical music (Chopin, Beethoven, and Vivaldi). After they fell asleep, we re-played the classical music songs (TMR) or a control noise during slow wave sleep. Relative to the control condition, the TMR condition showed an 18% improvement for knowledge transfer items that measured concept integration (d = 0.63), increasing the probability of "passing" the test with a grade of 70 or above (OR = 4.68, 95%CI: 1.21, 18.04). The benefits of TMR did not extend to a 9-month follow-up test when performance dropped to floor levels, demonstrating that long-term-forgetting curves are largely resistant to experimentally-consolidated memories. Spectral analyses revealed greater frontal theta activity during slow wave sleep in the TMR condition than the control condition (d = 0.87), and greater frontal theta activity across conditions was associated with protection against long-term-forgetting at the next-day and 9-month follow-up tests (rs = 0.42), at least in female students. Thus, students can leverage instrumental music-which they already commonly pair with studying-to help prepare for academic tests, an approach that may promote course success and persistence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chenlu Gao
- Baylor University, Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Waco, TX, United States
| | - Paul Fillmore
- Baylor University, Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, Waco, TX, United States
| | - Michael K Scullin
- Baylor University, Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Waco, TX, United States.
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45
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Hu X, Cheng LY, Chiu MH, Paller KA. Promoting memory consolidation during sleep: A meta-analysis of targeted memory reactivation. Psychol Bull 2020; 146:218-244. [PMID: 32027149 PMCID: PMC7144680 DOI: 10.1037/bul0000223] [Citation(s) in RCA: 97] [Impact Index Per Article: 24.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Targeted memory reactivation (TMR) is a methodology employed to manipulate memory processing during sleep. TMR studies have great potential to advance understanding of sleep-based memory consolidation and corresponding neural mechanisms. Research making use of TMR has developed rapidly, with over 70 articles published in the last decade, yet no quantitative analysis exists to evaluate the overall effects. Here we present the first meta-analysis of sleep TMR, compiled from 91 experiments with 212 effect sizes (N = 2,004). Based on multilevel modeling, overall sleep TMR was highly effective (Hedges' g = 0.29, 95% CI [0.21, 0.38]), with a significant effect for two stages of non-rapid-eye-movement (NREM) sleep (Stage NREM 2: Hedges' g = 0.32, 95% CI [0.04, 0.60]; and slow-wave sleep: Hedges' g = 0.27, 95% CI [0.20, 0.35]). In contrast, TMR was not effective during REM sleep nor during wakefulness in the present analyses. Several analysis strategies were used to address the potential relevance of publication bias. Additional analyses showed that TMR improved memory across multiple domains, including declarative memory and skill acquisition. Given that TMR can reinforce many types of memory, it could be useful for various educational and clinical applications. Overall, the present meta-analysis provides substantial support for the notion that TMR can influence memory storage during NREM sleep, and that this method can be useful for understanding neurocognitive mechanisms of memory consolidation. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoqing Hu
- Department of Psychology, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
- The State Key Lab of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
- HKU-Shenzhen Institute of Research and Innovation, Shenzhen, China
| | - Larry Y. Cheng
- Department of Psychology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA
| | - Man Hey Chiu
- Department of Psychology, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Ken A. Paller
- Department of Psychology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA
- Cognitive Neuroscience Program, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA
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46
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Baena D, Cantero JL, Fuentemilla L, Atienza M. Weakly encoded memories due to acute sleep restriction can be rescued after one night of recovery sleep. Sci Rep 2020; 10:1449. [PMID: 31996775 PMCID: PMC6989495 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-58496-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2019] [Accepted: 01/16/2020] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Sleep is thought to play a complementary role in human memory processing: sleep loss impairs the formation of new memories during the following awake period and, conversely, normal sleep promotes the strengthening of the already encoded memories. However, whether sleep can strengthen deteriorated memories caused by insufficient sleep remains unknown. Here, we showed that sleep restriction in a group of participants caused a reduction in the stability of EEG activity patterns across multiple encoding of the same event during awake, compared with a group of participants that got a full night's sleep. The decrease of neural stability patterns in the sleep-restricted group was associated with higher slow oscillation-spindle coupling during a subsequent night of normal sleep duration, thereby suggesting the instantiation of restorative neural mechanisms adaptively supporting cognition and memory. Importantly, upon awaking, the two groups of participants showed equivalent retrieval accuracy supported by subtle differences in the reinstatement of encoding-related activity: it was longer lasting in sleep-restricted individuals than in controls. In addition, sustained reinstatement over time was associated with increased coupling between spindles and slow oscillations. Taken together, these results suggest that the strength of prior encoding might be an important moderator of memory consolidation during sleep. Supporting this view, spindles nesting in the slow oscillation increased the probability of correct recognition only for weakly encoded memories. Current results demonstrate the benefit that a full night's sleep can induce to impaired memory traces caused by an inadequate amount of sleep.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Baena
- Laboratory of Functional Neuroscience, Pablo de Olavide University, Seville, 41013, Spain.,CIBERNED, Network Center for Biomedical Research in Neurodegenerative Diseases, Madrid, Spain
| | - Jose L Cantero
- Laboratory of Functional Neuroscience, Pablo de Olavide University, Seville, 41013, Spain.,CIBERNED, Network Center for Biomedical Research in Neurodegenerative Diseases, Madrid, Spain
| | - Lluís Fuentemilla
- Cognition and Brain Plasticity Group, Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBELL), Hospitalet de Llobregat, 08907, Spain.,Department of Cognition, Development and Educational Psychology, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, 08035, Spain
| | - Mercedes Atienza
- Laboratory of Functional Neuroscience, Pablo de Olavide University, Seville, 41013, Spain. .,CIBERNED, Network Center for Biomedical Research in Neurodegenerative Diseases, Madrid, Spain.
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47
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Peng XR, Liu YR, Fan DQ, Lei X, Liu QY, Yu J. Deciphering Age Differences in Experience-Based Decision-Making: The Role of Sleep. Nat Sci Sleep 2020; 12:679-691. [PMID: 33061725 PMCID: PMC7532924 DOI: 10.2147/nss.s272176] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2020] [Accepted: 09/03/2020] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Recent studies have demonstrated that sleep not only facilitates memory consolidation but also benefits more complex cognitive skills such as decision-making in young adults. Older adults use different decision strategies compared with young adults, which leaves the role of sleep in older adults' decision-making unclear. We investigated the age-by-sleep effect on decision-making. METHODS We recruited 67 young adults (ages 18 to 29 years) and 66 older adults (ages 60 to 79 years) and randomly assigned them into the "sleep" or "wake" study condition. They were given a modified Iowa gambling task to perform before and after a 12-hour interval with sleep or wakefulness. RESULTS Using the typical model-free analysis, we found that young adults' between-session performance improved greater than that of older adults regardless of the sleep/wake condition. Furthermore, older adults with longer total sleep time showed a greater improvement in the selection of one "good" deck. To further examine the sleep effect on age-related differences in cognitive processes underlying decision-making, we conducted computational modelling. This more fine-grained analysis revealed that sleep improved feedback sensitivity for both young and older adults while it increased loss aversion for older adults but not for young adults. CONCLUSION These findings indicate that sleep promotes learning-based decision-making performance via facilitating value representation, and such modulation is distinct in young compared to older adults.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xue-Rui Peng
- Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing, People's Republic of China
| | - Yun-Rui Liu
- Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing, People's Republic of China.,Department for Cognitive and Decision Sciences, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Dong-Qiong Fan
- Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing, People's Republic of China.,School of Biological Science and Medical Engineering, Beihang University, Beijing, People's Republic of China
| | - Xu Lei
- Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing, People's Republic of China
| | - Quan-Ying Liu
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, People's Republic of China
| | - Jing Yu
- Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing, People's Republic of China.,Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, People's Republic of China
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48
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Cued Memory Reactivation during Motor Imagery Practice Influences Early Improvement of Procedural Skill Learning. Neuroscience 2019; 418:244-253. [PMID: 31491503 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2019.08.047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2019] [Revised: 08/22/2019] [Accepted: 08/27/2019] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
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49
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Lucas HD, Creery JD, Hu X, Paller KA. Grappling With Implicit Social Bias: A Perspective From Memory Research. Neuroscience 2019; 406:684-697. [PMID: 30742963 PMCID: PMC6511463 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2019.01.037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2018] [Revised: 01/06/2019] [Accepted: 01/21/2019] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
There is now widespread consensus that social biases often influence actions independently of the actor's intention or awareness. The notion that we are sometimes blind to the origins of our thoughts, attitudes, and behaviors also features prominently in research into domain-general human memory systems, which has a long history of distinguishing between implicit and explicit repercussions of past experience. A shared challenge across these fields of study is thus to identify techniques for effectively managing the contents of our memory stores, particularly those aspects into which we have limited metacognitive insight. In the present review, we examine recent developments in the cognitive neuroscience of human memory that speak to this challenge as it applies to the social domain. One area of progress pertains to the role of individuation, the process of attending to and representing in memory unique characteristics of individuals, which can limit the influence of generalizations based on social categories. A second body of work concerns breakthroughs in understanding memory consolidation, which determines the fate of newly encoded memories. We discuss the promise of each of these developments for identifying ways to become better stewards of our social minds. More generally, we suggest that, as with other forms of learning and memory, intentional practice and rehearsal may be critical in learning to minimize unwanted biases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heather D Lucas
- Department of Psychology, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA 70803, USA.
| | - Jessica D Creery
- Department of Psychology and Cognitive Neuroscience Program, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208, USA
| | - Xiaoqing Hu
- Department of Psychology, The State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong
| | - Ken A Paller
- Department of Psychology and Cognitive Neuroscience Program, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208, USA.
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50
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Göldi M, Rasch B. Effects of targeted memory reactivation during sleep at home depend on sleep disturbances and habituation. NPJ SCIENCE OF LEARNING 2019; 4:5. [PMID: 31069114 PMCID: PMC6497651 DOI: 10.1038/s41539-019-0044-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2018] [Accepted: 04/03/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Targeted memory reactivation (TMR) during sleep improves memory consolidation. However, it is still unknown whether TMR also benefits memory in real-life conditions. We tested whether TMR during sleep enhances Dutch-German vocabulary learning when applied during multiple nights at home in an unsupervised fashion. During 3 consecutive nights, 66 healthy young participants used an mp3-player to play Dutch words during sleep, without any control of sleep or awakenings by tones (unsupervised TMR). Unsupervised TMR benefitted overall memory scores only in a subgroup of participants, who reported no disturbances by TMR during sleep. Participants who reported general disturbances of sleep showed no benefit, while TMR specifically impaired memory in a third group who reported specific disturbances by the played words during sleep. Separate analysis per night indicated that memory benefits by TMR were significant in the entire sample in the third night only. Our results indicate that sleep disturbances and habituation might be critical factors for the success of unsupervised TMR in a home setting. Habituation to the TMR process as well as automatic sleep monitoring and avoidance of auditory-induced awakenings might be a precondition to successful application of TMR to language learning in real-life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maurice Göldi
- Department of Psychology, University of Fribourg, Rue P.-A.-Faucigny 2, CH-1701 Fribourg, Switzerland
| | - Björn Rasch
- Department of Psychology, University of Fribourg, Rue P.-A.-Faucigny 2, CH-1701 Fribourg, Switzerland
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