QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

HOME  |   SEARCH  |   ARCHIVE  |   SUBSCRIBE  |   CONTACT  |   HELP

The Journal of Neuroscience, September 26, 2007, 27(39):10468-10475; doi:10.1523/JNEUROSCI.2799-07.2007

This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Submit an eLetter View eLetters for this paper Alert me when this article is cited Alert me when eLetters are posted Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in ISI Web of Science Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via ISI Web of Science (2) Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Brown, R. M. Articles by Robertson, E. M. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Brown, R. M. Articles by Robertson, E. M.

 Previous Article  |  Next Article 

Behavioral/Systems/Cognitive
Off-Line Processing: Reciprocal Interactions between Declarative and Procedural Memories

Rachel M. Brown and Edwin M. Robertson

Center for Noninvasive Brain Stimulation, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, Massachusetts 02215

Correspondence should be addressed to Edwin M. Robertson, Center for Noninvasive Brain Stimulation, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, 330 Brookline Avenue, Kirstein Building KS 446, Boston, MA 02215. Email: emrobert{at}bidmc.harvard.edu

The acquisition of declarative (i.e., facts) and procedural (i.e., skills) memories may be supported by independent systems. This same organization may exist, after memory acquisition, when memories are processed off-line during consolidation. Alternatively, memory consolidation may be supported by interactive systems. This latter interactive organization predicts interference between declarative and procedural memories. Here, we show that procedural consolidation, expressed as an off-line motor skill improvement, can be blocked by declarative learning over wake, but not over a night of sleep. The extent of the blockade on procedural consolidation was correlated to participants' declarative word recall. Similarly, in another experiment, the reciprocal relationship was found: declarative consolidation was blocked by procedural learning over wake, but not over a night of sleep. The decrease in declarative recall was correlated to participants' procedural learning. These results challenge the concept of fixed independent memory systems; instead, they suggest a dynamic relationship, modulated by when consolidation takes place, allowing at times for a reciprocal interaction between memory systems.

Key words: sleep; declarative learning; procedural learning; consolidation; off-line; skill learning; motor learning

---

Received June 20, 2007; revised July 24, 2007; accepted Aug. 9, 2007.

Correspondence should be addressed to Edwin M. Robertson, Center for Noninvasive Brain Stimulation, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, 330 Brookline Avenue, Kirstein Building KS 446, Boston, MA 02215. Email: emrobert{at}bidmc.harvard.edu

This article has been cited by other articles:

				J. Yordanova, V. Kolev, R. Verleger,, Z. Bataghva, J. Born, and U. Wagner Shifting from implicit to explicit knowledge: Different roles of early- and late-night sleep Learn. Mem., July 14, 2008; 15(7): 508 - 515. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				I. Wilhelm, S. Diekelmann, and J. Born Sleep in children improves memory performance on declarative but not procedural tasks Learn. Mem., April 25, 2008; 15(5): 373 - 377. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

eLetters:

Read all eLetters

learning consolidation, sleep problems, autism

Fei CHEN

J. Neurosci. Online, 4 Nov 2007 [Full text]

Home  |   Search  |   Archive  |   Subscribe  |   Contact  |   Help