title: Sleep-dependent learning and practice-dependent deterioration in an orientation discrimination task.
abstract: Learning new information requires practice. The degree of learning can be influenced by the amount of practice and whether subjects sleep between sessions. Over-practice, however, can lead to performance deterioration. The interaction between practice-dependent deterioration and sleep-dependent learning needs more study. We examine whether the amount of practice before sleep alters learning, and whether prior sleep protects against deterioration. Two groups (N = 33) were tested three times across two days on an orientation discrimination task. The High practice group was tested twice before a night of sleep and once after, at 9 a.m., 7 p.m., and 9 a.m. The Low practice group was tested once before a night of sleep and twice after, at 7 p.m., 9 a.m., and 7 p.m. Overall, both groups showed (1) deterioration with repeated, within-day testing, (2) performance improvement only after a night of sleep, (3) similar amounts of sleep-dependent learning and practice-dependent deterioration. In summary, we found that sleep resets visual contrast thresholds to a lower baseline (i.e., produces learning), but does not prevent over-practice deterioration effects. Likewise, over-practice deterioration does not influence the magnitude of overnight learning on this task.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, Research Service, VA San Diego Healthcare System, USA. smednick@ucsd.edu
authors.forename: Sara C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Mednick
authors.forename: Sean P A
authors.initials: SP
authors.lastname: Drummond
authors.forename: Geoffrey M
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Boynton
authors.forename: Ed
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Awh
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Serences
mesh_terms: D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001288:Attention / Q000502:physiology; D004193:Discrimination Learning / Q000502:physiology*; D005364:Field Dependence-Independence; D006801:Humans; D009949:Orientation; D010364:Pattern Recognition, Visual / Q000502:physiology*; D011214:Practice, Psychological; D011930:Reaction Time; D012016:Reference Values; D012153:Retention, Psychology / Q000502:physiology*; D012890:Sleep / Q000502:physiology*