In the background is an entorhinal cortex neuron that was studied.
The blue-green trace shows neocortical slow oscillation while the yellow
trace shows the persistent activity of entorhinal corticalneuron, even
when the inputs from neocortex were silent. (Credit: Mayank Mehta)
Pulling and “all-nighter”
before a test may become the preferred method of learning – if your all-nighter
consists of actually sleeping. Studies
have found that your brain processes information while you sleep, enhancing
your memory when awake.
Scientists at UCLA studied the
activity of the brain region involved with learning by examining three
connected brain regions in mice – the neocortex (new brain), the hippocampus
(old brain), and the entorhinal cortex (intermediate brain that connects the new
and old). Previous studies have shown that dialogue between the new and old
brain is critical for memory formation. This research team measured the
activity of single neurons from each of these areas of the brain to determine
which region was activating the other areas and how the activation spread. They
were surprised to discover that the entorhinal cortex showed persistent
activity at all times – during waking hours and during sleep. The entorhinal
neurons were “behaving as if they were remembering something even under
anesthesia.”
People spend one-third of
their lives sleeping, and studies have shown that interrupted sleep or lack of
sleep can result in adverse effects on one’s health. Just as sleep plays a
vital role in promoting physical health, the results of this study show that good
sleeping habits can have beneficial effects on memory and learning capability
as well.
Northwestern University
researchers studied how memories can be reactivated and strengthened during
sleep through external stimulation. The participants in this study were taught
to play two different musical tunes with key presses. The participants then
took a 90-minute nap, at which time only one of the two tunes was played throughout
the sleep period. The participants’ electrical brain activity was recorded by electroencephalography (EEG). This
method ensured that the music was presented during the slow-wave sleep, a stage
linked to strengthening memories. The results showed the participants made
fewer errors when playing back the tune that was presented while they slept. This
study showed that memory is strengthened for something you’ve already learned
by reactivating the information while sleeping. Senior author of this study,
Ken Paller, stated, “External stimulation during sleep can influence a complex
skill.”
Researchers from Michigan
State University have been investigating how people may be learning while they
sleep due to an unconscious form of memory that is not yet well understood.
They suspect this is a separate form of memory that processes information
without one’s awareness. Kimberly Fenn, lead researcher, stated, “Simply
improving your sleep could potentially improve your performance in the
classroom.” A research study from the University of Notre Dame shows that going
to sleep shortly after learning something new is most effective for processing
and recalling that material.
Scientists have studied the
effects of sleep through countless research studies and have discovered that
good sleeping habits provide many health benefits. More recently researchers
have been studying the relationship between sleep and brain function. These
studies have also shown a positive connection between sleep and the ability to
process information and enhance your memory when awake.
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