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The role of sleep in directed forgetting and remembering of human memories.

ABSTRACT: Ample evidence supports a role for sleep in the offline consolidation of memory. However, circumstances exist where forgetting can be as critical as remembering, both in daily life and clinically. Using a directed forgetting paradigm, here, we investigate the impact of explicit cue instruction during learning, prior to sleep, on subsequent remembering and forgetting of memory, after sleep. We demonstrate that sleep, relative to time awake, can selectively ignore the facilitation of items previously cued to be forgotten, yet preferentially enhance recall for items cued to be remembered; indicative of specificity based on prior waking instruction. Moreover, the success of this differential remember/forget effect is strongly correlated with fast sleep spindles over the left superior parietal cortex. Furthermore, electroencephalography source analysis of these spindles revealed a repeating loop of current density between selective memory-related regions of the superior parietal, medial temporal, and right prefrontal cortices. These findings move beyond the classical notion of sleep universally strengthening information. Instead, they suggest a model in which sleep may be more ecologically attuned to instructions present during learning while awake, supporting both remembering and targeted forgetting of human memories.

SUBMITTER: Saletin JM

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3183424 | biostudies-literature | 2011 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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The role of sleep in directed forgetting and remembering of human memories.

Saletin Jared M JM Goldstein Andrea N AN Walker Matthew P MP

Cerebral cortex (New York, N.Y. : 1991) 20110331 11

Ample evidence supports a role for sleep in the offline consolidation of memory. However, circumstances exist where forgetting can be as critical as remembering, both in daily life and clinically. Using a directed forgetting paradigm, here, we investigate the impact of explicit cue instruction during learning, prior to sleep, on subsequent remembering and forgetting of memory, after sleep. We demonstrate that sleep, relative to time awake, can selectively ignore the facilitation of items previou ...[more]

PMID: 21459838

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Project description:BackgroundDisasters can have long-lasting impacts on mental health. Intrusive memories have been found to be common and persistent in the aftermath of earthquakes.ObjectiveTo explore, using diaries, intrusive memories' presence, content, characteristics, and relationship with probable post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in a small rural community exposed to mass destruction and loss of life.MethodsSurvivors of the 2016-2017 Central Italy earthquakes (N = 104) were first interviewed to investigate the presence of intrusive memories of the disaster. Those that reported intrusive memories were subsequently asked to complete a 7-day paper-and-pen diary tracking their spontaneous memories of the earthquake events.ResultsTwenty months after the earthquakes, 49% (n = 51) of the sample reported having experienced intrusive memories post-earthquake and 38% (n = 39) reported at least one intrusive memory in their diaries. Memories were rated as being distressing, vivid, and experienced as a mixture of images and thoughts. The content of intrusive memories generally focused on sensations and experiences during the earthquake. Other common categories of content were the material environment and physical objects as well as human loss & death. Several memories had a social focus. A minority of memories contained more positive content as well as content from before and after the earthquake. Some participants (28%) experienced repeated intrusive memories of the same content. Memories of participants with and without probable PTSD did not significantly differ on characteristics or content.ConclusionsIntrusive memories can be common, distressing, and persistent occurrences following disasters, even in survivors not suffering from probable PTSD.HighlightsIntrusive memories were common, distressing, and vivid more than 1-year post-disaster.They captured peri-earthquake sensations, material destruction, death, and social interactions.No difference in content or characteristics was found between participants with and without probable PTSD.

Dataset Information

The role of sleep in directed forgetting and remembering of human memories.

Publications

The role of sleep in directed forgetting and remembering of human memories.

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