Give it time, and sleep
April 17, 2007Researchers at McGill University and Harvard Medical School have established a direct link between sleep and improved relational memory function. Their study is published today in the April 16 online edition of Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
"Sleep clearly has a favourable effect on human relational memory — the memory that allows us to draw connections between facts and events," explains Professor Debra Titone, Associate Professor of Psychology at McGill University and Canada Research Chair in Cognitive Neuroscience of Language and Memory.
The study's fifty-six subjects were shown five pairs of abstract patterns that had a hierarchy that was unfamiliar to them. They then learned that some patterns were correct and some were incorrect. After a period of study, the subjects were tested in three groups for their understanding of the hierarchies of the pairs of patterns and for their inferential abilities. The first group was tested after a 20 minute-long rest, the second after 12 hours, with or without sleep, and the third was tested 24 hours later.
The results showed that after a learning period, memory continues to process information during periods of sleep, which allows the brain to associate new memories with one another. "It's like making a soup," said psychology Professor Matthew Walker, director of the Sleep and Neuroimaging Laboratory at Harvard Medical School. "Just putting all the ingredients in a pot won't do it, they have to be left to marinate and cook together. After many hours, particularly after sleeping, the brain can consolidate the elements of individual memories in the same storage space."
Source: McGill University
-
Tireless research reveals secrets of the 'sleep hormone'
Dec 13, 2011 |
5 / 5 (4) |
0
-
What happens when we sleep
Jan 28, 2009 |
4.2 / 5 (9) |
0
-
Research links 'brain waves' to cognition, attention and diagnosing disorders
Feb 07, 2012 |
4 / 5 (1) |
0
-
Sleep deprivation tied to increased nighttime urination in preadolescence
Feb 01, 2012 |
not rated yet |
0
-
The ethics of brain boosting
Jan 26, 2012 |
4.8 / 5 (34) |
43
-
Engineers build first sub-10-nm carbon nanotube transistor
Feb 01, 2012 |
4.9 / 5 (31) |
30
-
Something old, something new: Evolution and the structural divergence of duplicate genes
Jan 31, 2012 |
4.6 / 5 (7) |
1
-
The hidden nanoworld of ice crystals: Revealing the dynamic behavior of quasi-liquid layers
Jan 30, 2012 |
5 / 5 (3) |
1
-
Stock market network reveals investor clustering
Jan 27, 2012 |
3.9 / 5 (23) |
8
-
Of microchemistry and molecules: Electronic microfluidic device synthesizes biocompatible probes
Jan 26, 2012 |
5 / 5 (1) |
0
-
Is Everyday Technology Killing Us?
Feb 08, 2012
-
Exercise and weight loss
Feb 08, 2012
-
Why do we have head aches? Our brains can't feel anything.
Feb 07, 2012
-
"The end of diseases" by David Agus, interview from Daily Show with Jon Stewart
Feb 04, 2012
-
Oncolytic adenovirus
Feb 04, 2012
-
Nutrition label stuffs and diets
Feb 02, 2012
- More from Physics Forums - Medical Sciences
More news stories
Study finds that anti-diabetic medication can prevent the long-term effects of maternal obesity
In a study to be presented today at the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine's annual meeting, The Pregnancy Meeting, in Dallas, Texas, researchers will report findings that show that short therapy with the anti-diabetic medication ...
12 hours ago |
5 / 5 (1) |
1
Steroid injections prove effective in treatment of lumbar disc herniations
The use of epidural steroid injections may be a more efficient treatment option for lumbar disc herniations, according to research presented today at the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine's Specialty Day in ...
12 hours ago |
not rated yet |
0
Amateur football players not always keen on returning to play after ACL injuries
Despite the known success rates of reconstructive Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) surgery, the number of high school and collegiate football players returning to play may not be as high as anticipated, say researchers presenting ...
12 hours ago |
not rated yet |
0
Study finds elevated levels of cell-free DNA in first trimester do not predict preeclampsia
In a study to be presented today at the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine's annual meeting, The Pregnancy Meeting, in Dallas, Texas, researchers will report findings that indicate that elevated levels of cell-free DNA in ...
12 hours ago |
not rated yet |
0
PRP treatment aids healing of elbow injuries say researchers
As elbow injuries continue to rise, especially in pitchers, procedures to help treat and get players back in the game quickly have been difficult to come by. However, a newer treatment called platelet rich plasma (PRP) may ...
12 hours ago |
5 / 5 (1) |
0
Walney offshore wind farm is world's biggest (for now)
(PhysOrg.com) -- The Walney wind farm on the Irish Sea--characterized by high tides, waves and windy weather--officially opened this week. The farm is treated in the press as a very big deal as the Walney ...
GPS court ruling leaves US phone tracking unclear
A US Supreme Court decision requiring a warrant to place a GPS device on the car of a criminal suspect leaves unresolved the bigger issue of police tracking using mobile phones, legal experts say.
Europeans protest controversial Internet pact
Tens of thousands of people marched in protests in more than a dozen European cities Saturday against a controversial anti-online piracy pact that critics say could curtail Internet freedom.
Europe stakes billion-dollar bet on new rocket
A pencil-slim rocket is scheduled to lift into space from South America on Monday, carrying a billion-dollar bet that Europe can grab a juicy slice of the market to place satellites in low orbit.
Netflix settlement trims 14 pct off 4Q earnings
(AP) -- Netflix pressed the rewind button on its fourth-quarter earnings after settling allegations that the video subscription service violated a consumer-privacy law.
Elbow position not a predictor of injury
Elbow position alone appeared to not affect injury rates and performance in college-level, male pitchers say researchers presenting at the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine's Specialty Day in San Francisco, ...