Posts Tagged Under: memory

Consolidation of Memories

Did you know that…..

A recent study, published by The Journal of Neuroscience, shows that the mere expectancy that a memory will beused in a future determines whether or not sleep significantlybenefits consolidation of this memory?

In that study the person had to learn”word paired associates” before retentionperiods of sleep or wakefulness. The scientifics found that post-learning sleep comparedwith wakefulness produced a strong improvement at delayed retrievalonly if the subjects had been informed about the retrieval testafter the learning period. But if they had not been informed, retrievalafter retention sleep did not differ from that after the wakeretention interval.

The conclusion was the following : sleep preferentially benefits consolidationof memories that are relevant for future behavior, presumablythrough a SWS (slow-wave sleep ) dependent reprocessing of these memories.

That study, entitled “Sleep Selectively Enhances Memory Expected to Be of Future Relevance”, has been carried out by Germans and Swiss investigators of Department of Neuroendocrinology, Lübeck, (Susanne Diekelmann) and the Department of Medical Psychology, Tübingen University, (Jan Born).

(Edited by Dr. María Moya Guirao, MD)

Sleeping

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Reactivation of Memory

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A recent study, published by Nature Neuroscience, shows that reactivation of human memory serves distinct functions depending on the brain state of wakefulness or sleep ?

The investigators reactivated memories in humans by presenting associated odor cues either during SWS ( slow-wave sleep ) or wakefulness.

The conclusion was the following : “Functional magnetic resonance imaging revealed that reactivation during SWS mainly activated hippocampal and posterior cortical regions, whereas reactivation during wakefulness primarily activated prefrontal cortical areas”.

That study, entitled “Labile or stable: opposing consequences for memory when reactivated during waking and sleep”, has been carried out by Germans and Swiss investigators of Department of Neuroendocrinology, Lübeck, (Susanne Diekelmann), Department of Medical Psychology, Tübingen University, ( Jan Born), Department of Systems Neurosciences, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, (Christian Büchel), and Division of Cognitive Neuroscience, University of Basel, (Björn Rasch).

(Edited by Dr. María Moya Guirao, MD)

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Korsakoff’s Syndrome

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The Korsakoff’s Syndrome is characterized by a gross disturbance in recent memory, often compensated for by confabulation ?

This syndrome is associated with excessive alcohol intake and a diet deficient in Thiamine.

(Edited by Dr. María Moya Guirao, MD)

 

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Korsakoff’s Syndrome and the Memory

Korsakoff’s Syndrome is a chronic alcoholic disorder due to vitamin deficiencies.

The principal characteristics are  extreme memory defects and confabulation . The patient fabricates all kinds of fanciful tales to fill in the gaps in his memory.

The memory defect in Korsakoff’s Syndrome is for recent events.

(Edited by Dr. María Moya Guirao, MD)

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