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. 2010 Jun;203(2):471-7.
doi: 10.1007/s00221-010-2242-2. Epub 2010 Apr 18.

REM-dependent repair of competitive memory suppression

Bengi Baran  1 , Jessica Wilson, Rebecca M C Spencer
Affiliations

REM-dependent repair of competitive memory suppression

Bengi Baran et al. Exp Brain Res. 2010 Jun.

Abstract

Memories are enhanced during sleep through memory consolidation processes. A recent study reported that sleep increases competitive forgetting in the absence of sleep-dependent consolidation of the target memory (Racsmany et al. in Psychol Sci 21:80-85, 2010). Here, using a modified retrieval-induced forgetting task, we examined whether sleep-dependent modulation of forgetting occurs concurrently with the consolidation of related target memories. Participants encoded a word-pair list and then practiced retrieving a portion of these pairs. Following a break with sleep or wake, recall of all pairs was tested. As expected, recall for practiced pairs was greater following sleep relative to wake. Contrary to Racsmany et al. (Psychol Sci 21:80-85, 2010), competitive forgetting decreased following sleep. Moreover, recall for practiced pairs correlated with slow wave sleep (SWS) while forgetting of competing targets correlated negatively with REM, suggesting a novel function of these sequential brain states on memory processing.

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Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
The retrieval-induced forgetting task. a Sample stimuli used in the Retrieval-Induced Forgetting Task. b The three phases of the task. All word pairs are initially encoded in the Encode Phase. A subset of these pairs is practiced in the Retrieval Practice Phase. All pairs are then recalled in the Recall Phase. c Participants first performed the Encode and Retrieval Practice Phases. An interval, containing either sleep (12-h containing overnight sleep or 90 min containing a nap) or an equivalent interval spent awake, preceded the Recall Phase. Participants performed the task twice, with either sleep or wake in the intervening interval and the order of sleep and wake delays was counterbalanced across participants
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
a Recall accuracy for all pair types (open bars 12 h grp; hatched bars nap grp). b Relationship between sleep and the overnight change in memory and forgetting. On left the percent of the night spent in SWS significantly correlated with the recall of the practiced pairs. On right the percent of the night spent in REM had a significant negative correlation with competitive forgetting after sleep
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