The role of sleep and practice in implicit and explicit motor learning

• Published in: Behavioural brain research Vol. 214; no. 2; pp. 470 - 474
• Main Authors: Rieth, Cory A., Cai, Denise J., McDevitt, Elizabeth A., Mednick, Sara C.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Shannon Elsevier B.V 25-12-2010; Elsevier
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Behavioral psychophysiology; Biological and medical sciences; Circadian rhythms; Consolidation; Fatigue; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Humans; Learning - physiology; Motor memory; Napping; Practice (Psychology); Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychology. Psychophysiology; Psychomotor Performance - physiology; Pursuit motor learning; Sleep; Sleep - physiology; Fatigue; Sleep; Consolidation; Napping; Pursuit motor learning; Motor memory; Acquisition process; Memory; Practice; Sleep wake cycle; Motricity; Motor learning
• ISSN: 0166-4328; 1872-7549
• DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2010.05.052

Sleep is hypothesized to play a functional role in the consolidation of memory, with more robust findings for implicit, than explicit memory. Previous studies have observed improvements on an explicit motor task after a sleep period. We examined the role of massed practice and sleep on implicit and explicit learning within a motor task. Controlling for non-sleep factors (e.g. massed practice, circadian confounds) eliminated both explicit and implicit learning effects that have been attributed to sleep.