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Pesonen AK, Koskinen MK, Vuorenhela N, Halonen R, Mäkituuri S, Selin M, Luokkala S, Suutari A, Hovatta I. The effect of REM-sleep disruption on affective processing: A systematic review of human and animal experimental studies. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2024; 162:105714. [PMID: 38729279 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2024.105714] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2023] [Revised: 04/15/2024] [Accepted: 05/04/2024] [Indexed: 05/12/2024]
Abstract
Evidence on the importance of rapid-eye-movement sleep (REMS) in processing emotions is accumulating. The focus of this systematic review is the outcomes of experimental REMS deprivation (REMSD), which is the most common method in animal models and human studies on REMSD. This review revealed that variations in the applied REMSD methods were substantial. Animal models used longer deprivation protocols compared with studies in humans, which mostly reported acute deprivation effects after one night. Studies on animal models showed that REMSD causes aggressive behavior, increased pain sensitivity, reduced sexual behavior, and compromised consolidation of fear memories. Animal models also revealed that REMSD during critical developmental periods elicits lasting consequences on affective-related behavior. The few human studies revealed increases in pain sensitivity and suggest stronger consolidation of emotional memories after REMSD. As pharmacological interventions (such as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors [SSRIs]) may suppress REMS for long periods, there is a clear gap in knowledge regarding the effects and mechanisms of chronic REMS suppression in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anu-Katriina Pesonen
- SleepWell Research Program and Department of Psychology and Logopedics Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Haartmaninkatu 3, 00014, Finland.
| | - Maija-Kreetta Koskinen
- SleepWell Research Program and Department of Psychology and Logopedics Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Haartmaninkatu 3, 00014, Finland
| | - Neea Vuorenhela
- SleepWell Research Program and Department of Psychology and Logopedics Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Haartmaninkatu 3, 00014, Finland
| | - Risto Halonen
- SleepWell Research Program and Department of Psychology and Logopedics Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Haartmaninkatu 3, 00014, Finland
| | - Saara Mäkituuri
- SleepWell Research Program and Department of Psychology and Logopedics Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Haartmaninkatu 3, 00014, Finland
| | - Maikki Selin
- SleepWell Research Program and Department of Psychology and Logopedics Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Haartmaninkatu 3, 00014, Finland
| | - Sanni Luokkala
- SleepWell Research Program and Department of Psychology and Logopedics Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Haartmaninkatu 3, 00014, Finland
| | - Alma Suutari
- SleepWell Research Program and Department of Psychology and Logopedics Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Haartmaninkatu 3, 00014, Finland
| | - Iiris Hovatta
- SleepWell Research Program and Department of Psychology and Logopedics Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Haartmaninkatu 3, 00014, Finland
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Ovalle-Fresa R, Martarelli CS. Drawing as an efficient encoding tool in younger but not always older adults: The case of associative memory. Mem Cognit 2024:10.3758/s13421-023-01503-6. [PMID: 38175462 DOI: 10.3758/s13421-023-01503-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/04/2023] [Indexed: 01/05/2024]
Abstract
Episodic memory strongly declines in healthy aging, at least partly because of reduced abilities to create and remember associations (associative memory) and to use efficient memory strategies. Several studies have shown that drawing the to-be-remembered material is a reliable encoding tool to enhance memory of individual items (item memory) because it simultaneously integrates elaborative, pictorial, and motoric processes. These processes in isolation can enhance associative memory in older adults. Nevertheless, their simultaneous impact on associative memory has never been investigated in drawing as an encoding tool. We aimed to investigate whether drawing as an encoding tool not only enhances item memory, but whether its benefit extends to associative memory in younger and older adults. Therefore, we tested 101 older and 100 younger participants in two online experiments and one in-person experiment. Using a memory task for unrelated word-pairs, we compared relational drawing and repeatedly writing (non-relational) as encoding tools and assessed immediate recognition memory of items and associations. In Experiment 2, we additionally assessed recognition memory after 1 week. The findings were consistent across the three experiments: while younger participants benefited from drawing over writing in item and associative memory, older participants benefited in item but not in associative memory. The observed effects remained after 1 week. Thus, we could extend the benefit of drawing to relational drawing in associative memory in younger adults. The lack of benefit in older adults' associative memory might be explained by age-related difficulties in benefiting from memory strategies, and in creating and retrieving associations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca Ovalle-Fresa
- Faculty of Psychology, UniDistance Suisse, Schinerstrasse 18, 3900, Brig, Switzerland.
| | - Corinna S Martarelli
- Faculty of Psychology, UniDistance Suisse, Schinerstrasse 18, 3900, Brig, Switzerland
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3
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Kumral D, Matzerath A, Leonhart R, Schönauer M. Spindle-dependent memory consolidation in healthy adults: A meta-analysis. Neuropsychologia 2023; 189:108661. [PMID: 37597610 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2023.108661] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2023] [Revised: 06/23/2023] [Accepted: 08/12/2023] [Indexed: 08/21/2023]
Abstract
Accumulating evidence suggests a central role for sleep spindles in the consolidation of new memories. However, no meta-analysis of the association between sleep spindles and memory performance has been conducted so far. Here, we report meta-analytical evidence for spindle-memory associations and investigate how multiple factors, including memory type, spindle type, spindle characteristics, and EEG topography affect this relationship. The literature search yielded 53 studies reporting 1427 effect sizes, resulting in a small to moderate effect for the average association. We further found that spindle-memory associations were significantly stronger for procedural memory than for declarative memory. Neither spindle types nor EEG scalp topography had an impact on the strength of the spindle-memory relation, but we observed a distinct functional role of global and fast sleep spindles, especially for procedural memory. We also found a moderation effect of spindle characteristics, with power showing the largest effect sizes. Collectively, our findings suggest that sleep spindles are involved in learning, thereby representing a general physiological mechanism for memory consolidation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Deniz Kumral
- Institute of Psychology, Neuropsychology, University of Freiburg, Freiburg Im Breisgau, Germany; Department of Neurology, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany.
| | - Alina Matzerath
- Institute of Psychology, Neuropsychology, University of Freiburg, Freiburg Im Breisgau, Germany
| | - Rainer Leonhart
- Institute of Psychology, Social Psychology and Methodology, University of Freiburg, Freiburg Im Breisgau, Germany
| | - Monika Schönauer
- Institute of Psychology, Neuropsychology, University of Freiburg, Freiburg Im Breisgau, Germany; Bernstein Center Freiburg, Freiburg Im Breisgau, Germany
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4
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Halonen R, Luokkala S, Kuula L, Antila M, Pesonen AK. Right-lateralized sleep spindles are associated with neutral over emotional bias in picture recognition: An overnight study. Cogn Affect Behav Neurosci 2023; 23:1445-1459. [PMID: 37308745 PMCID: PMC10260275 DOI: 10.3758/s13415-023-01113-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/10/2023] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Sleep is especially important for emotional memories, although the mechanisms for prioritizing emotional content are insufficiently known. As during waking, emotional processing during sleep may be hemispherically asymmetric; right-lateralized rapid-eye movement (REM) sleep theta (~4-7 Hz) is reportedly associated with emotional memory retention. No research exists on lateralized non-REM sleep oscillations. However, sleep spindles, especially when coupled with slow oscillations (SOs), facilitate off-line memory consolidation.Our primary goal was to examine how the lateralization (right-to-left contrast) of REM theta, sleep spindles, and SO-spindle coupling is associated with overnight recognition memory in a task consisting of neutral and emotionally aversive pictures. Thirty-two healthy adults encoded 150 target pictures before overnight sleep. The recognition of target pictures among foils (discriminability, d') was tested immediately, 12 hours, and 24 hours after encoding.Recognition discriminability between targets and foils was similar for neutral and emotional pictures in immediate and 12-h retrievals. After 24 hours, emotional pictures were less accurately discriminated (p < 0.001). Emotional difference at 24-h retrieval was associated with right-to-left contrast in frontal fast spindle density (p < 0.001). The lateralization of SO-spindle coupling was associated with higher neutral versus emotional difference across all retrievals (p = 0.004).Our findings contribute to a largely unstudied area in sleep-related memory research. Hemispheric asymmetry in non-REM sleep oscillations may contribute to how neutral versus emotional information is processed. This is presumably underlain by both mechanistic offline memory consolidation and a trait-like cognitive/affective bias that influences memory encoding and retrieval. Methodological choices and participants' affective traits are likely involved.
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Affiliation(s)
- Risto Halonen
- SleepWell Research Program, Research Program Unit, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 21, 00014, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Sanni Luokkala
- Department of Psychology and Logopedics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 21, 00014, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Liisa Kuula
- SleepWell Research Program, Research Program Unit, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 21, 00014, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Minea Antila
- Department of Psychology and Logopedics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 21, 00014, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Anu-Katriina Pesonen
- SleepWell Research Program, Research Program Unit, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 21, 00014, Helsinki, Finland.
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5
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Schäfer SK, Lüder CC, Porcheret K, Hu X, Margraf J, Michael T, Holmes EA, Werner GG, Wilhelm I, Woud ML, Zeng S, Friesen E, Haim-Nachum S, Lass-Hennemann J, Lieb K, Kunzler AM, Wirth BE, Sopp MR. To sleep or not to sleep, that is the question: A systematic review and meta-analysis on the effect of post-trauma sleep on intrusive memories of analog trauma. Behav Res Ther 2023; 167:104359. [PMID: 37422952 DOI: 10.1016/j.brat.2023.104359] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2022] [Revised: 06/05/2023] [Accepted: 06/18/2023] [Indexed: 07/11/2023]
Abstract
Distressing intrusive memories of a traumatic event are one of the hallmark symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder. Thus, it is crucial to identify early interventions that prevent the occurrence of intrusive memories. Both, sleep and sleep deprivation have been discussed as such interventions, yet previous studies yielded contradicting effects. Our systematic review aims at evaluating existing evidence by means of traditional and individual participant data (IPD) meta-analyses to overcome power issues of sleep research. Until May 16th, 2022, six databases were searched for experimental analog studies examining the effect of post-trauma sleep versus wakefulness on intrusive memories. Nine studies were included in our traditional meta-analysis (8 in the IPD meta-analysis). Our analysis provided evidence for a small effect favoring sleep over wakefulness, log-ROM = 0.25, p < .001, suggesting that sleep is associated with a lower number of intrusions but unrelated to the occurrence of any versus no intrusions. We found no evidence for an effect of sleep on intrusion distress. Heterogeneity was low and certainty of evidence for our primary analysis was moderate. Our findings suggest that post-trauma sleep has the potential to be protective by reducing intrusion frequency. More research is needed to determine the impact following real-world trauma and the potential clinical significance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah K Schäfer
- Division of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Department of Psychology, Saarland University, Saarbrücken, Germany; Leibniz Institute for Resilience Research (LIR), Mainz, Germany; Technische Universität Braunschweig, Department of Clinical Psychology, Psychotherapy and Psychodiagnostics, Brunswick, Germany.
| | - Charina C Lüder
- Division of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Department of Psychology, Saarland University, Saarbrücken, Germany.
| | - Kate Porcheret
- Norwegian Center for Violence and Traumatic Stress Studies, Oslo, Norway; Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway.
| | - Xiaoqing Hu
- Department of Psychology, The University of Hong Kong, Jockey Club Tower, Centennial Campus, Hong Kong, China; The State Key Laboratory of Brian and Cognitive Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Jockey Club Tower, Centennial Campus, Hong Kong, China; HKU-Shenzhen Institute of Research and Innovation, Shenzhen, China.
| | - Jürgen Margraf
- Mental Health Research and Treatment Center, Faculty of Psychology, Ruhr-University Bochum, Bochum, Germany; DZPG (German Center for Mental Health), Germany.
| | - Tanja Michael
- Division of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Department of Psychology, Saarland University, Saarbrücken, Germany.
| | - Emily A Holmes
- Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Division of Psychology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden; Department of Psychology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden.
| | - Gabriela G Werner
- Department of Clinical Psychology & Psychotherapy, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany.
| | - Ines Wilhelm
- Division of Experimental Psychopathology and Psychotherapy, Department of Psychology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland; Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Psychiatric Hospital, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland; Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Luebeck, Luebeck, Germany.
| | - Marcella L Woud
- Mental Health Research and Treatment Center, Faculty of Psychology, Ruhr-University Bochum, Bochum, Germany.
| | - Shengzi Zeng
- Department of Psychology, The University of Hong Kong, Jockey Club Tower, Centennial Campus, Hong Kong, China.
| | - Edith Friesen
- Division of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Department of Psychology, Saarland University, Saarbrücken, Germany.
| | - Shilat Haim-Nachum
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA.
| | - Johanna Lass-Hennemann
- Division of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Department of Psychology, Saarland University, Saarbrücken, Germany.
| | - Klaus Lieb
- Leibniz Institute for Resilience Research (LIR), Mainz, Germany; Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Mainz, Germany.
| | - Angela M Kunzler
- Leibniz Institute for Resilience Research (LIR), Mainz, Germany; Institute for Evidence in Medicine, Medical Center & Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany.
| | - Benedikt E Wirth
- Divison of Cognition & Action, Department of Psychology, Saarland University, Saarbrücken, Germany; Department of Cognitive Assistants, German Research Center for Artificial Intelligence (DFKI), Saarbrücken, Germany.
| | - M Roxanne Sopp
- Division of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Department of Psychology, Saarland University, Saarbrücken, Germany.
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6
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Yuksel C, Denis D, Coleman J, Oh A, Cox R, Morgan A, Sato E, Stickgold R. Emotional memories are enhanced when reactivated in slow wave sleep, but impaired when reactivated in REM. bioRxiv 2023:2023.03.01.530661. [PMID: 36909630 PMCID: PMC10002730 DOI: 10.1101/2023.03.01.530661] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/06/2023]
Abstract
Sleep supports memory consolidation. However, it is not completely clear how different sleep stages contribute to this process. While rapid eye movement sleep (REM) has been traditionally implicated in the processing of emotionally charged material, recent studies indicate a role for slow wave sleep (SWS) in strengthening the memories of emotional stimuli. Here, to directly examine which sleep stage is primarily involved in emotional memory consolidation, we used targeted memory reactivation (TMR) in REM and SWS during a daytime nap. We also examined neural oscillations associated with TMR-related changes in memory. Contrary to our hypothesis, reactivation of emotional stimuli during REM led to impaired memory. Meanwhile, reactivation of emotional stimuli in SWS improved memory and was strongly correlated with the product of times spent in REM and SWS (%SWS Ã- %REM). When this variable was taken into account, reactivation significantly enhanced memory, with larger reactivation benefits compared to reactivation in REM. Notably, sleep spindle activity was modulated by emotional valence, and delta/theta activity was correlated with the memory benefit for both emotional and neutral items. Finally, we found no evidence that emotional memories benefited from TMR more than did neutral ones. Our results provide direct evidence for a complementary role of both REM and SWS in emotional memory consolidation, and suggest that REM may separately facilitate forgetting. In addition, our findings expand upon recent evidence indicating a link between sleep spindles and emotional processing.
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7
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Pavlov YG, Pavlova NV, Diekelmann S, Kotchoubey B. Fear memory in humans is consolidated over time independently of sleep. Cogn Affect Behav Neurosci 2023; 23:100-13. [PMID: 36241964 DOI: 10.3758/s13415-022-01037-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/21/2022] [Indexed: 02/15/2023]
Abstract
Fear memories can be altered after acquisition by processes, such as fear memory consolidation or fear extinction, even without further exposure to the fear-eliciting stimuli, but factors contributing to these processes are not well understood. Sleep is known to consolidate, strengthen, and change newly acquired declarative and procedural memories. However, evidence on the role of time and sleep in the consolidation of fear memories is inconclusive. We used highly sensitive electrophysiological measures to examine the development of fear-conditioned responses over time and sleep in humans. We assessed event-related brain potentials (ERP) in 18 healthy, young individuals during fear conditioning before and after a 2-hour afternoon nap or a corresponding wake interval in a counterbalanced within-subject design. The procedure involved pairing a neutral tone (CS+) with a highly unpleasant sound. As a control, another neutral tone (CS-) was paired with a neutral sound. Fear responses were examined before the interval during a habituation phase and an acquisition phase as well as after the interval during an extinction phase and a reacquisition phase. Differential fear conditioning during acquisition was evidenced by a more negative slow ERP component (stimulus-preceding negativity) developing before the unconditioned stimulus (loud noise). This differential fear response was even stronger after the interval during reacquisition compared with initial acquisition, but this effect was similarly pronounced after sleep and wakefulness. These findings suggest that fear memories are consolidated over time, with this effect being independent of intervening sleep.
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Carollo G, Degasperi G, Cellini N. The role of sleep and wakefulness in the recognition of emotional pictures. J Sleep Res 2022; 31:e13695. [PMID: 35853672 PMCID: PMC9786839 DOI: 10.1111/jsr.13695] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2022] [Revised: 06/25/2022] [Accepted: 06/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Sleep has a beneficial effect on memory consolidation. However, its role in emotional memory is currently debated. Here, we investigate the role of sleep and a similar period of wakefulness on the recognition of emotional pictures and subjective emotional reactivity. Forty participants without any major physical, neurological or psychological condition were randomly assigned to the Sleep First Group or Wake First Group. The two groups underwent the encoding phase of an emotional images task with negative and neutral pictures at either 09:00 hours (Wake First Group) or 21:00 hours (Sleep First Group). Then participants performed an immediate recognition test (T1), and two delayed tests 12 hr (T2) and 24 hr (T3) later. Perceived arousal and valence levels were collected for each picture. Sleep parameters were recorded at participants' homes with a portable device. No differences were observed at T1, whereas at T2 the Sleep First Group showed a higher memory performance than the Wake First Group. At T3, performance decreased in the Sleep First Group (who spent the previous 12 hr awake), but not in the Wake First Group (who slept during the previous 12 hr). Overall, negative images were remembered better than neutral ones. We also observed a positive association between memory performance for negative items at the immediate test and the percentage of rapid eye movement sleep the night before the encoding. Our data confirm that negative information is remembered better over time than neutral information, and that sleep benefits the retention of declarative information. However, sleep seems not to preferentially improve emotional memory, although it may affect the encoding of negative information.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giacomo Carollo
- Department of General PsychologyUniversity of PadovaPadovaItaly
| | | | - Nicola Cellini
- Department of General PsychologyUniversity of PadovaPadovaItaly
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9
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Scarpelli S, Alfonsi V, Gorgoni M, De Gennaro L. What about dreams? State of the art and open questions. J Sleep Res 2022; 31:e13609. [PMID: 35417930 PMCID: PMC9539486 DOI: 10.1111/jsr.13609] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2022] [Revised: 03/28/2022] [Accepted: 03/28/2022] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
Several studies have tried to identify the neurobiological bases of dream experiences, nevertheless some questions are still at the centre of the debate. Here, we summarise the main open issues concerning the neuroscientific study of dreaming. After overcoming the rapid eye movement (REM) ‐ non‐REM (NREM) sleep dichotomy, investigations have focussed on the specific functional or structural brain features predicting dream experience. On the one hand, some results underlined that specific trait‐like factors are associated with higher dream recall frequency. On the other hand, the electrophysiological milieu preceding dream report upon awakening is a crucial state‐like factor influencing the subsequent recall. Furthermore, dreaming is strictly related to waking experiences. Based on the continuity hypothesis, some findings reveal that dreaming could be modulated through visual, olfactory, or somatosensory stimulations. Also, it should be considered that the indirect access to dreaming remains an intrinsic limitation. Recent findings have revealed a greater concordance between parasomnia‐like events and dream contents. This means that parasomnia episodes might be an expression of the ongoing mental sleep activity and could represent a viable direct access to dream experience. Finally, we provide a picture on nightmares and emphasise the possible role of oneiric activity in psychotherapy. Overall, further efforts in dream science are needed (a) to develop a uniform protocol to study dream experience, (b) to introduce and integrate advanced techniques to better understand whether dreaming can be manipulated, (c) to clarify the relationship between parasomnia events and dreaming, and (d) to determine the clinical valence of dreams.
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Affiliation(s)
- Serena Scarpelli
- Department of Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | | | - Maurizio Gorgoni
- Department of Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy.,Body and Action Lab, IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Rome, Italy
| | - Luigi De Gennaro
- Department of Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy.,Body and Action Lab, IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Rome, Italy
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10
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Reid A, Bloxham A, Carr M, van Rijn E, Basoudan N, Tulip C, Blagrove M. Effects of sleep on positive, negative and neutral valenced story and image memory. Br J Psychol 2022; 113:777-797. [PMID: 35253902 PMCID: PMC9545409 DOI: 10.1111/bjop.12559] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2021] [Accepted: 02/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
During sleep, emotional memories are preferentially strengthened. However, most studies on sleep and emotional memory focus on comparing negative valence with neutral valence stimuli. This study compared the sleep‐dependent memory effects for stories and images, each comprising negative, neutral, and positive stimuli. It was hypothesized that a sleep effect would be seen for negatively and positively valenced stimuli. A novel story memory task (comprising three stories), and photographs from the Nencki Affective Picture database were presented for learning to 61 healthy adults (ages 18–25). They were tested for memory on the two tasks immediately, and then again after either a 2‐hr nap (n = 31; 17 women, 14 men) or 2‐hr wake period (n = 30; 13 women, 17 men). At second testing, the sleep condition had significantly better recall compared to the wake condition on both tasks. There was a relationship with valence only for the story task, with better performance for the sleep condition on the negatively and positively valenced texts, but not on the neutral text. There were no significant relationships between memory measures and sleep‐stage duration and EEG power variables. The story memory findings support the hypothesis that memory consolidation prioritizes emotional memory, whether positively or negatively valenced.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alex Reid
- Sleep Laboratory, Faculty of Medicine, Health and Life Science, School of Psychology, Swansea University, Swansea, UK
| | - Anthony Bloxham
- Sleep Laboratory, Faculty of Medicine, Health and Life Science, School of Psychology, Swansea University, Swansea, UK
| | - Michelle Carr
- Sleep Laboratory, Faculty of Medicine, Health and Life Science, School of Psychology, Swansea University, Swansea, UK
| | - Elaine van Rijn
- Sleep Laboratory, Faculty of Medicine, Health and Life Science, School of Psychology, Swansea University, Swansea, UK
| | - Nasreen Basoudan
- Sleep Laboratory, Faculty of Medicine, Health and Life Science, School of Psychology, Swansea University, Swansea, UK
| | - Chloe Tulip
- Sleep Laboratory, Faculty of Medicine, Health and Life Science, School of Psychology, Swansea University, Swansea, UK
| | - Mark Blagrove
- Sleep Laboratory, Faculty of Medicine, Health and Life Science, School of Psychology, Swansea University, Swansea, UK
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11
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Hokett E, Arunmozhi A, Campbell J, Verhaeghen P, Duarte A. A systematic review and meta-analysis of individual differences in naturalistic sleep quality and episodic memory performance in young and older adults. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2021; 127:675-688. [PMID: 34000349 PMCID: PMC8330880 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2021.05.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2020] [Revised: 05/05/2021] [Accepted: 05/11/2021] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
Better sleep quality has been associated with better episodic memory performance in young adults. However, the strength of sleep-memory associations in aging has not been well characterized. It is also unknown whether factors such as sleep measurement method (e.g., polysomnography, actigraphy, self-report), sleep parameters (e.g., slow wave sleep, sleep duration), or memory task characteristics (e.g., verbal, pictorial) impact the strength of sleep-memory associations. Here, we assessed if the aforementioned factors modulate sleep-memory relationships. Across age groups, sleep-memory associations were similar for sleep measurement methods, however, associations were stronger for PSG than self-report. Age group moderated sleep-memory associations for certain sleep parameters. Specifically, young adults demonstrated stronger positive sleep-memory associations for slow wave sleep than the old, while older adults demonstrated stronger negative associations between greater wake after sleep onset and poorer memory performance than the young. Collectively, these data show that young and older adults maintain similar strength in sleep-memory relationships, but age impacts the specific sleep correlates that contribute to these relationships.
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12
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Abstract
Purpose of review Napping is a common behavior across age groups. While studies have shown a benefit of overnight sleep on memory consolidation, given differences in nap frequency, composition, and intent, it is important to consider whether naps serve a memory function across development and aging. Recent findings We review studies of the role of naps in declarative, emotional, and motor procedural memory consolidation across age groups. Recent findings in both developmental and aging populations find that naps benefit learning of many tasks but may require additional learning or sleep bouts compared to young adult populations. These studies have also identified variations in nap physiology based on the purpose of the nap, timing of the nap, or age. Summary These studies lend to our understanding of the function of sleep, and the potential for naps as an intervention for those with reduced nighttime sleep or learning impairments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bethany J Jones
- Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Amherst, Massachusetts, U.S.A
- Neuroscience & Behavior Program, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Amherst, Massachusetts, U.S.A
| | - Rebecca M C Spencer
- Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Amherst, Massachusetts, U.S.A
- Neuroscience & Behavior Program, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Amherst, Massachusetts, U.S.A
- Institute for Applied Life Sciences, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Amherst, Massachusetts, U.S.A
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Putica A, Van Dam NT, Steward T, Agathos J, Felmingham K, O'Donnell M. Alexithymia in post-traumatic stress disorder is not just emotion numbing: Systematic review of neural evidence and clinical implications. J Affect Disord 2021; 278:519-527. [PMID: 33017680 DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2020.09.100] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2020] [Revised: 09/23/2020] [Accepted: 09/25/2020] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Putica
- Phoenix Australia Centre for Post-traumatic Mental Health, Department of Psychiatry, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia.
| | - Nicholas T Van Dam
- Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia; Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States
| | - Trevor Steward
- Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - James Agathos
- Phoenix Australia Centre for Post-traumatic Mental Health, Department of Psychiatry, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Kim Felmingham
- Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Meaghan O'Donnell
- Phoenix Australia Centre for Post-traumatic Mental Health, Department of Psychiatry, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
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Davidson P, Jönsson P, Carlsson I, Pace-Schott E. Does Sleep Selectively Strengthen Certain Memories Over Others Based on Emotion and Perceived Future Relevance? Nat Sci Sleep 2021; 13:1257-1306. [PMID: 34335065 PMCID: PMC8318217 DOI: 10.2147/nss.s286701] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2020] [Accepted: 03/24/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Sleep has been found to have a beneficial effect on memory consolidation. It has furthermore frequently been suggested that sleep does not strengthen all memories equally. The first aim of this review paper was to examine whether sleep selectively strengthens emotional declarative memories more than neutral ones. We examined this first by reviewing the literature focusing on sleep/wake contrasts, and then the literature on whether any specific factors during sleep preferentially benefit emotional memories, with a special focus on the often-suggested claim that rapid eye movement sleep primarily consolidates emotional memories. A second aim was to examine if sleep preferentially benefits memories based on other cues of future relevance such as reward, test-expectancy or different instructions during encoding. Once again, we first focused on studies comparing sleep and wake groups, and then on studies examining the contributions of specific factors during sleep (for each future relevance paradigm, respectively). The review revealed that although some support exists that sleep is more beneficial for certain kinds of memories based on emotion or other cues of future relevance, the majority of studies does not support such an effect. Regarding specific factors during sleep, our review revealed that no sleep variable has reliably been found to be specifically associated with the consolidation of certain kinds of memories over others based on emotion or other cues of future relevance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Per Davidson
- Department of Psychology, Lund University, Lund, Sweden.,Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.,Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Peter Jönsson
- School of Education and Environment, Centre for Psychology, Kristianstad University, Kristianstad, Sweden
| | | | - Edward Pace-Schott
- Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.,Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.,Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Charlestown, MA, USA
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15
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Cipolli C, Pizza F, Bellucci C, Mazzetti M, Tuozzi G, Vandi S, Plazzi G. Dream Generation and Recall in Daytime NREM Sleep of Patients With Narcolepsy Type 1. Front Neurosci 2020; 14:608757. [PMID: 33328876 PMCID: PMC7729059 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2020.608757] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2020] [Accepted: 10/28/2020] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
The less rigid architecture of sleep in patients with narcolepsy type 1 (NT1) compared with healthy subjects may provide new insights into some unresolved issues of dream experience (DE), under the assumption that their DE frequencies are comparable. The multiple transition from wakefulness to REM sleep (sleep onset REM period: SOREMP) during the five trials of the Multiple Sleep Latency Test (MSLT) appears of particular interest. In MSLT studies, NT1 patients reported a DE after about 80% of SOREMP naps (as often as after nighttime REM sleep of themselves and healthy subjects), but only after about 30% of NREM naps compared to 60% of daytime and nighttime NREM sleep of healthy subjects. To estimate accurately the “real” DE frequency, we asked participants to report DE (“dream”) after each MSLT nap and, in case of failure, to specify if they were unable to retrieve any content (“white dream”) or DE did not occur (“no-dream”). The proportions of dreams, white dreams, and no dreams and the indicators of structural organization of DEs reported after NREM naps by 17 adult NT1 patients were compared with those reported by 25 subjects with subjective complaints of excessive daytime sleepiness (sc-EDS), who take multiple daytime NREM naps. Findings were consistent with the hypothesis of a failure in recall after awakening rather than in generation during sleep: white dreams were more frequent in NT1 patients than in sc-EDS subjects (42.86 vs 17.64%), while their frequency of dreams plus white dreams were similar (67.86 and 61.78%) and comparable with that of NREM-DEs in healthy subjects. The longer and more complex NREM-DEs of NT1 patients compared with sc-EDS subjects suggest that the difficulty in DE reporting depends on their negative attitude toward recall of contents less vivid and bizarre than those they usually retrieve after daytime SOREMP and nighttime REM sleep. As this attitude may be reversed by some recall training before MSLT, collecting wider amounts of DE reports after NREM naps would cast light on both the across-stage continuity in the functioning of cognitive processes underlying DE and the difference in content and structural organization of SOREM-DEs preceded by N1 or also N2 sleep.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlo Cipolli
- Department of Specialty, Diagnostic and Experimental Medicine, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Fabio Pizza
- Department of Biomedical and Neuromotor Sciences, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy.,Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico "Istituto delle Scienze Neurologiche" di Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Claudia Bellucci
- Department of Specialty, Diagnostic and Experimental Medicine, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Michela Mazzetti
- Department of Specialty, Diagnostic and Experimental Medicine, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Giovanni Tuozzi
- Department of Psychology, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Stefano Vandi
- Department of Biomedical and Neuromotor Sciences, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy.,Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico "Istituto delle Scienze Neurologiche" di Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Plazzi
- Department of Biomedical and Neuromotor Sciences, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy.,Department of Biomedical, Metabolic and Neural Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy
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Sopp MR, Friesen E, Schäfer SK, Brueckner AH, Wirth BE, Weber J, Lass-Hennemann J, Michael T. Wakefulness impairs selective consolidation of relevant trauma-associated memories resulting in more frequent intrusions. Behav Res Ther 2021; 136:103776. [PMID: 33276275 DOI: 10.1016/j.brat.2020.103776] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2020] [Revised: 10/01/2020] [Accepted: 11/13/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Recent studies show that sleep reduces intrusive memories after analog trauma. This effect is assumed to be caused by sleep's impact on memory consolidation. However, the underlying processes of this phenomenon have not been uncovered. Thus, the current study investigates the hypothesis that sleep reduces intrusive memories by supporting the selective consolidation of relevant memories. Seventy-five participants were exposed to traumatic picture stories before nocturnal sleep or wakefulness during daytime. Memory for relevant and irrelevant trauma-associated stimuli was assessed prior to and after the retention period. Consistent with the hypothesis, results demonstrate reduced memory loss for relevant as opposed to irrelevant trauma-associated stimuli after sleep but not after wakefulness. Moreover, an incremental retention benefit for relevant trauma-associated stimuli was negatively correlated with the number of intrusive trauma memories after wakefulness. These results suggest that lack of sleep impairs selective gating of relevant trauma-associated memories, thereby enhancing intrusion development after trauma.
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17
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Schäfer SK, Wirth BE, Staginnus M, Becker N, Michael T, Sopp MR. Sleep's impact on emotional recognition memory: A meta-analysis of whole-night, nap, and REM sleep effects. Sleep Med Rev 2020; 51:101280. [DOI: 10.1016/j.smrv.2020.101280] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2019] [Revised: 12/23/2019] [Accepted: 01/02/2020] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
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Abstract
INTRODUCTION There is ample evidence that overnight sleep and daytime naps benefit memory retention, compared to comparable amounts of active wakefulness. Yet recent evidence also suggests that a period of post-training rest (eg, quiet wakefulness with eyes closed) provides a similar memory benefit compared to wake. However, the relative benefits of sleep vs quiet waking rest on memory remain poorly understood. Here, we assessed the extent to which sleep provides a unique memory benefit, above and beyond that conferred by quiet waking rest. METHODS In a sample of healthy undergraduate students (N=83), we tested the effect of 30 mins of post-learning sleep, rest, or active wake on concept learning (dot pattern classification) and declarative memory (word pair associates) across a 4-hr daytime training-retest interval. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS Contrary to our hypotheses, we found no differences in performance between the three conditions for either task. The findings are interpreted with reference to methodological considerations including the length of the experimental interval, the nature of the tasks used, and challenges inherent in creating experimental conditions that can be executed by participants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew A Tucker
- University of South Carolina School of Medicine, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Greenville, SC, USA
| | - Graelyn B Humiston
- Furman University, Department of Psychology and Program in Neuroscience, Greenville, SC, USA
| | - Theodore Summer
- Furman University, Department of Psychology and Program in Neuroscience, Greenville, SC, USA
| | - Erin Wamsley
- Furman University, Department of Psychology and Program in Neuroscience, Greenville, SC, USA
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19
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Scarpelli S, Bartolacci C, D'Atri A, Gorgoni M, De Gennaro L. The Functional Role of Dreaming in Emotional Processes. Front Psychol 2019; 10:459. [PMID: 30930809 PMCID: PMC6428732 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2019.00459] [Citation(s) in RCA: 65] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2018] [Accepted: 02/15/2019] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Dream experience (DE) represents a fascinating condition linked to emotional processes and the human inner world. Although the overlap between REM sleep and dreaming has been overcome, several studies point out that emotional and perceptually vivid contents are more frequent when reported upon awakenings from this sleep stage. Actually, it is well-known that REM sleep plays a pivotal role in the processing of salient and emotional waking-life experiences, strongly contributing to the emotional memory consolidation. In this vein, we highlighted that, to some extent, neuroimaging studies showed that the processes that regulate dreaming and emotional salience in sleep mentation share similar neural substrates of those controlling emotions during wakefulness. Furthermore, the research on EEG correlates of the presence/absence of DE and the results on EEG pattern related to the incorporated memories converged to assign a crucial role of REM theta oscillations in emotional re-processing. In particular, the theta activity is involved in memory processes during REM sleep as well as during the waking state, in line with the continuity hypothesis. Also, the gamma activity seems to be related to emotional processes and dream recall as well as to lucid dreams. Interestingly, similar EEG correlates of DE have been found in clinical samples when nightmares or dreams occur. Research on clinical samples revealed that promoting the rehearsal of frightening contents aimed to change them is a promising method to treat nightmares, and that lucid dreams are associated with an attenuation of nightmares. In this view, DE can defuse emotional traumatic memories when the emotional regulation and the fear extinction mechanisms are compromised by traumatic and frightening events. Finally, dreams could represent a sort of simulation of reality, providing the possibility to create a new scenario with emotional mastery elements to cope with dysphoric items included in nightmares. In addition, it could be hypothesized that the insertion of bizarre items besides traumatic memories might be functional to "impoverish" the negative charge of the experiences.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Luigi De Gennaro
- Department of Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
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20
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Sopp MR, Brueckner AH, Schäfer SK, Lass-Hennemann J, Michael T. REM theta activity predicts re-experiencing symptoms after exposure to a traumatic film. Sleep Med 2019; 54:142-152. [DOI: 10.1016/j.sleep.2018.10.030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2018] [Revised: 10/17/2018] [Accepted: 10/31/2018] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
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21
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Sopp MR, Brueckner AH, Schäfer SK, Lass-Hennemann J, Michael T. Differential effects of sleep on explicit and implicit memory for potential trauma reminders: findings from an analogue study. Eur J Psychotraumatol 2019; 10:1644128. [PMID: 31448066 PMCID: PMC6691831 DOI: 10.1080/20008198.2019.1644128] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2019] [Revised: 06/19/2019] [Accepted: 06/24/2019] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Recent findings suggest that disruptions of sleep-related memory processing are involved in the development of posttraumatic stress symptoms. More specifically, exposure to an analogue traumatic event resulted in fewer intrusive memories, when it was followed by sleep instead of continued wakefulness. However, competing evidence suggests that sleep deprivation may reduce intrusive re-experiencing. To address these conflicting accounts, we examined how sleep - as opposed to partial sleep deprivation - modulates explicit and implicit trauma memory using an analogue procedure. Methods: Healthy participants (N = 41) were assigned to a Sleep or Partial sleep deprivation group. Prior to nocturnal sleep, both groups were exposed to "traumatic" picture stories. After sleep or partial sleep deprivation, participants were subjected to tests of explicit and implicit memory for potential trauma reminders. Thereafter, participants completed an intrusion triggering task that was embedded in a distractor task. Results: Analyses revealed higher explicit memory for potential trauma reminders after sleep as compared to partial sleep deprivation. No group differences were found for implicit memory. Participants responded with fewer intrusions after sleep than following partial sleep deprivation. Conclusions: The current findings support a protective role of sleep in trauma memory processing, which may be evident after the first night of sleep post-trauma. Although more research is needed, our results corroborate the importance of promoting restful sleep in trauma-exposed individuals.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Roxanne Sopp
- Division of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Department of Psychology, Saarland University, Saarbrücken, Germany
| | - Alexandra H Brueckner
- Division of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Department of Psychology, Saarland University, Saarbrücken, Germany
| | - Sarah K Schäfer
- Division of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Department of Psychology, Saarland University, Saarbrücken, Germany
| | - Johanna Lass-Hennemann
- Division of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Department of Psychology, Saarland University, Saarbrücken, Germany
| | - Tanja Michael
- Division of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Department of Psychology, Saarland University, Saarbrücken, Germany
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