Abstract
Effects of valence context on sleep dependent consolidation of emotional memories
Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience. Supplement, Vol.2013, pp.37a-37a
01/01/2013
Abstract
Over three experiments we investigated the effects of sleep on memory and emotional reactivity for picture stimuli in varying emotional contexts. Participants provided valence and arousal ratings for picture stimuli before and after intervals (12 hrs) containing sleep or wake. Recognition of the stimuli from session 1 was also probed 12 hrs later. In Experiment 1, in which stimuli were negative or neutral in valence, we found that overnight sleep was associated with better memory for negative [F(1,79)=5.53, p=.02] and neutral pictures [F(1,79)=8.51, p=.004] relative to wake. Furthermore, the initial negative emotional reactivity was relatively preserved over sleep, an effect that correlated with more time spent in late-night REM sleep. However, when the same neutral pictures were paired with positive pictures in Experiment 2, we found that sleep did not benefit neutral pictures (p=.61) but memory for positive pictures tended to be greater following sleep relative to wake[F(1,68)=3.76, p=.06]. Emotional reactivity for positive pictures was attenuated (towards neutral) in both sleep and wake groups but the magnitude tended to be greater in the sleep group [F(1,68)=3.09, p=.08]. Finally, in Experiment 3, when positive, negative and neutral pictures were combined, sleep again enhanced memory for neutral pictures [F(1,33)=7.27, p=.01]. Thus, neutral memories encoded in the presence of negative items were consolidated over sleep but not when encoded in the presence of positive items alone. These results support a role of sleep in selectively enhancing memories but only in restricted emotional contexts.
Details
- Title: Subtitle
- Effects of valence context on sleep dependent consolidation of emotional memories
- Creators
- Bengi BaranRebecca M C Spencer
- Resource Type
- Abstract
- Publication Details
- Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience. Supplement, Vol.2013, pp.37a-37a
- ISSN
- 1096-8857
- Language
- English
- Date published
- 01/01/2013
- Academic Unit
- Psychiatry; Psychological and Brain Sciences; Iowa Neuroscience Institute
- Record Identifier
- 9984071745202771
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