Daytime naps improve motor imagery learning

Abstract

Sleep is known to contribute to motor memory consolidation. Recent studies have provided evidence that a night of sleep plays a similar functional role following motor imagery (MI), while the simple passage of time does not result in performance gains. Here, we examined the benefits of a daytime nap on motor memory consolidation after MI practice. Participants were trained by MI on an explicitly known sequence of finger movements at 11:00. Half of the participants were then subjected (at 14:00) to either a short nap (10 min of stage 2 sleep) or a long nap (60-90 min, including slow wave sleep and rapid eye movement sleep). We also collected data from both quiet and active rest control groups. All participants remained in the lab until being retested at 16:00. The data revealed that a daytime nap after imagery practice improved motor performance and, therefore, facilitated motor memory consolidation, as compared with spending a similar time interval in the wake state. Interestingly, the results revealed that both short and long naps resulted in similar delayed performance gains. The data might also suggest that the presence of slow wave and rapid eye movement sleep does not provide additional benefits for the sleep-dependent motor skill consolidation following MI practice.

Declarative interference affects off-line processing of motor imagery learning during both sleep and wakefulness

“…There is now ample evidence that MI and physical practice share several characteristics at temporal, behavioral and neural levels (Holmes & Collins, 2001;Munzert, Lorey, & Zentgraf, 2009). Practically, similar performance gains have been observed after a night of sleep when participants practiced MI compared to physical practice of an explicit FTT, while a comparable time interval during daytime did not affect motor memory consolidation (Debarnot, Castellani, Valenza, Sebastiani, & Guillot, 2011a;Debarnot et al, 2009a). These results further reinforced the principle of functional equivalence between MI and physical practice, by demonstrating sleep related effects on motor memory consolidation following MI.…”

Antidepressant Suppression of Non-REM Sleep Spindles and REM Sleep Impairs Hippocampus-Dependent Learning While Augmenting Striatum-Dependent Learning

“…SWS dependent consolidation in the striatum may depend on processes such as firing rate/pattern changes (Bordi et al, 1993) or low acetylcholine levels (Gadea-Ciria et al, 1973; Havekes et al, 2011) during SWS. Increases in SWS have been shown to correlate with other procedural learning tasks such as soccer playing and tumbling on a trampoline (Buchegger and Meier-Koll, 1988; Doyon et al, 2009; Debas et al, 2010; Debarnot et al, 2011). Higher slow wave activity (0–3 Hz) during SWS has also been shown to correlate with procedural and implicit learning (e.g.…”

Brain plasticity and motor practice in cognitive aging

“…Nighttime sleeping or daytime napping is required for such a learning mode. In motor behavior literature, motor skill acquisition is said to be composed of these two closely related learning mechanisms (Newell, 1991; Sanes, 2000, 2003; Thomas et al, 2000; Cohen et al, 2005; Yan et al, 2009; Debarnot et al, 2011; Wilhelm et al, 2012). Both practice and sleeping facilitate motor skills learning.…”