RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Sleep Does Not Benefit Probabilistic Motor Sequence Learning
JF The Journal of Neuroscience
JO J. Neurosci.
FD Society for Neuroscience
SP 12475
OP 12483
DO 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.2062-07.2007
VO 27
IS 46
A1 Sunbin Song
A1 James H. Howard, Jr
A1 Darlene V. Howard
YR 2007
UL http://www.jneurosci.org/content/27/46/12475.abstract
AB It has become widely accepted that sleep-dependent consolidation occurs for motor sequence learning based on studies using finger-tapping tasks. Studies using another motor sequence learning task [the serial response time task (SRTT)] have portrayed a more nuanced picture of off-line consolidation, involving both sleep-dependent and daytime consolidation, as well as modifying influences of explicit awareness. The present study used a variant of the SRTT featuring probabilistic sequences to investigate off-line consolidation. Probabilistic sequences confer two advantages: first, spontaneous explicit awareness does not occur, and second, sequence learning measures are continuous, making it easier to separate general skill from sequence-specific learning. We found that sleep did not enhance general skill or sequence-specific learning. In contrast, daytime enhancement occurred for general skill but not for sequence-specific learning. Overall, these results suggest that motor learning does not always undergo consolidation with sleep.