| dc.description.abstract | Two published datasets (Dumay & Gaskell, 2007, Psychological Science; Tamminen, Payne,
Stickgold, Wamsley, & Gaskell, 2010, Journal of Neuroscience) showing a positive influence of
sleep on declarative memory were re-analyzed, focusing on the "fate" of each item at the 0-hr
test and 12-hr retest. In particular, I looked at which items were retrieved at test, and
"maintained" (i.e., not forgotten) at retest, and which items were not retrieved at test, but
eventually "gained" at retest. This gave me separate estimates of protection against loss and
memory enhancement, which the classic approach relying on net recall/recognition levels has
remained blind to. In both free recall and recognition, the likelihood of maintaining an item
between test and retest, like that of gaining one at retest, was higher when the retention interval
was filled with nocturnal sleep, as opposed to day-time (active) wakefulness. And, in both cases,
the effect of sleep was stronger on gained than maintained items. Thus, if sleep indeed protects
against retroactive, unspecific interference, it also clearly promotes access to those memories
initially too weak to be retrieved. These findings call for an integrated approach including both
passive (cell-level) and active (systems-level) consolidation, possibly unfolding in an
opportunistic fashion. | en_GB |
