Research article summary (published 29 Jun 2003):

Sleep and the time course of motor skill learning.

Full Abstract

Growing evidence suggests that sleep plays an important role in the process of procedural learning. Most recently, sleep has been implicated in the continued development of motor-skill learning following initial acquisition. However, the temporal evolution of motor learning before and after sleep, the effects of different training regimens, and the long-term development of motor learning across multiple nights of sleep remain unknown. Here, we report data for subjects trained and retested on a sequential finger-tapping task across multiple days. The findings demonstrate firstly that following initial training, small practice-dependent improvements are possible before, but not following the large practice-independent gains that develop across a night of sleep. Secondly, doubling the quantity of initial training does not alter the amount of subsequent sleep-dependent learning that develops overnight. Thirdly, the amount of sleep-dependent learning does not correlate with the amount of practice-dependent learning achieved during training, suggesting the existence of two discrete motor-learning processes. Finally, whereas the majority of sleep-dependent motor-skill learning develops during the first night of sleep following training, additional nights of sleep still offer continued improvements.

Author information

Author/s: Walker, Matthew P (MP); Brakefield, Tiffany (T); Seidman, Joshua (J); Morgan, Alexandra (A); Hobson, J Allan (JA); Stickgold, Robert (R);

Affiliation: Massachusetts Mental Health Center, Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA. mwalker(-atsign-)hms.harvard.edu

Grants: DA-11,744 (Agency:NIDA NIH HHS) ; MH-48,832 (Agency:NIMH NIH HHS)

Journal and publication information

Publication Type: Journal Article; Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.; Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

Journal: Learning & memory (Cold Spring Harbor, N.Y.) (Learn Mem), published in United States. (Language: eng)

Reference: -2003 Jul-Aug; vol 10 (issue 4) : pp 275-84

Dates: Created 2003/07/30; Completed 2003/10/23; Revised 2008/11/20;

PMID: 12888546, status: MEDLINE (last retrieval date: 2/18/2009, IMS Date: 18 Feb 2009 00:00:00)

Sourced from the National Library of Medicine. Abstract text and other information may be subject to copyright.

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MeSH headings (categories)

This article was linked to the MESH Headings shown below.

Adult Brain - physiology Female Fingers Humans

Learning - physiology Male Motor Skills - physiology Psychomotor Performance - physiology Sleep - physiology

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