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a) The finger tapping task (FTT) is a motor sequence learning task in which participants are asked to tap with their non-dominant hand a 5-digits sequence (for example 4-1-3-2-4 or 2-4-13-2), as rapidly and accurately as possible, using the numeric key-buttons of a computer keyboard or a response box. To reduce working memory load, both the numeric sequence and five white circles are displayed at the center of the screen throughout the task. Every time the participants press a key, one circle turns into a black dot. b) Example of a FTT paradigm. During a training session, participants perform 12 blocks, each consisting in 30s of tapping followed by 30s of rest. Then, after a period containing sleep or just wakefulness, participants perform a recall session, which can be composed by 3 to 12 blocks. The change in performance throughout the training session is considered a measure of online (or practice-dependent) learning, whereas the change in performance from the last three blocks of learning to the blocks in the recall session represents an index of offline memory consolidation. In this figure the number of correct sequences per 30s is reported in two hypothetical groups, sleep and wake.
Source publication
In recent years sleep-related memory consolidation has become a central topic in the sleep research field. Several studies have shown that in healthy individuals sleep promotes memory consolidation. Notwithstanding this, the consequences of sleep disorders on offline memory consolidation remain poorly investigated. Research studies indicate that pa...
Citations
... Notably, a longitudinal polysomnographic study of five girls with CDD reported long sleep latency, frequent night awakenings, shorter total sleep time, decreased rapid-eye-movement sleep (REMS), and low sleep efficiency, which persisted during the study period (5.5-10 years) [10,11]. Sleep disturbances worsen seizures, impair learning and memory [12][13][14], and have a significant negative impact on the quality of life of CDD patients and their caregivers [15,16]. However, relatively little is known about the mechanisms underlying sleep disturbances in CDD, and effective treatments for these sleep problems are not yet available. ...
... During REMS, EEG power spectra of KO mice were shifted toward higher frequencies at both ages ( Figure 2I,O). KO mice had decreased power in theta, and increased power in alpha (9)(10)(11)(12)(13)(14) and beta bands (15)(16)(17)(18)(19)(20)(21)(22)(23)(24)(25)(26)(27)(28)(29)(30). Additionally, aged KO mice showed increased power in sigma band ( Figure 2J,P). ...
Cyclin-dependent kinase-like 5 (CDKL5) deficiency disorder (CDD) is an X-linked rare neurodevelopmental disorder associated with severe sleep disturbances. However, little is known about the mechanisms underlying sleep disturbances in CDD patients. Here, we employed the electroencephalogram (EEG) recording to characterize sleep–wake behaviors and EEG activity in male CDKL5-deficient mice. We found that young adult and middle-aged Cdkl5 knockout (KO) mice recapitulated sleep phenotypes in patients with CDD, including difficulties in initiating and maintaining sleep, reduction in total sleep time, and frequent night awakenings. Cdkl5 KO mice exhibited pre-sleep arousal, but normal circadian rhythm and homeostatic sleep response. Conditional knockout (cKO) of Cdkl5 in glutamatergic neurons resulted in reduced sleep time and difficulty in sleep maintenance. Further, the rate of age-associated decline in sleep and EEG activity in Cdkl5 KO mice was comparable to that of wild-type littermates. Together, these results confirm a causative role for CDKL5 deficiency in sleep disturbances observed in CDD patients and establish an animal model for translational research of sleep treatment in CDD. Moreover, our results provide valuable information for developing therapeutic strategies and identifying sleep and EEG parameters as potential biomarkers for facilitating preclinical and clinical trials in CDD.
... Circadian rhythms are a major component regulating sleep in humans, which plays a crucial role in the integrity of several processes. Notably, its role in cognitive functioning is well established [9][10][11][12][13][14] as well as in emotional regulation [15][16][17]. Sleep quality and quantity also contributes to immune system, brain energy and plasticity [18,19] and is therefore an essential life component. ...
... Additionally, consistent physical activity is shown to offer neuroprotective benefits, maintaining neuronal integrity, and enhancing cognitive function (Farina et al., 2021;Northey et al., 2018). Quality sleep is crucial for memory consolidation, learning, and brain plasticity, while nutrition, characterized by essential nutrients, supports cognitive function and physiological robustness (Casagrande et al., 2022;Cellini, 2017;Curcio et al., 2006;Yaremchuk, 2018). Overall, addressing these various factors holistically can significantly impact an individual's overall sense of coherence and cognitive resilience, promoting healthy brain aging and quality of life. ...
Objective
This study examined the psychometric properties of a newly developed scale for measuring subjective cognitive reserve (SCR) across multiple domains, including nutrition, physical condition, sleep, cognition, willingness to learn, socialization, general health, and life plan.
Method
The relationship between SCR scores and other established measures of cognitive reserve and subjective cognitive decline was also explored. A sample of 402 healthy participants aged 18 to 79 years took part in the study.
Results
The SCR scale demonstrated strong psychometric properties, including internal consistency and construct validity, supporting the theoretical model of perceived cognitive reserve. Convergent validity was confirmed through a positive correlation between SCR scores and resilience (BRCS) as well as with other cognitive reserve measures, indicating consistency in evaluating cognitive reserve across various instruments. Furthermore, discriminant validity was demonstrated by a significant negative correlation between SCR scores and subjective cognitive decline, suggesting that individuals with higher cognitive reserve experience lower levels of perceived cognitive decline. No significant relationship was found between SCR scores and chronological age, further supporting the construct validity of the scale by showing that cognitive reserve is influenced by dynamic factors beyond age.
Conslusion
The findings highlight the potential of the SCR scale as a reliable and valid tool for assessing cognitive reserve and its protective role in cognitive health and well-being over time.
... 8,9 However, the precise impact of these sleep disorders on memory consolidation and the distinctions between individuals with insomnia and those with comorbid cognition impairment warrant further investigation. 10 It has been observed that kinds of neuro-metabolite, especially the excitatory and inhibitory neurotransmitters responsible for sleep-wake rhythm, could be disrupted in the clinical patients with sleep disorders. 11,12 Neurotransmitter plays an important role in synaptic plasticity and long-term potentiation, subsequently promoting information processing throughout the nervous system, which is essential for learning, memory, and cognition. ...
Background
Memory consolidation in sleep-dependent individuals involves the circuitry connections of cortex, thalamus and hippocampus, regulating via neural metabolites. However, the disruption of metabolic pattern in thalamus and hippocampus remains unclear.
Objective
We aim to explore the disruptive effects of insomnia on the metabolites during memory consolidation, particularly the underlying neurometabolic mechanisms in comorbidity of failed memory consolidation.
Methods
This study integrates clinical research with animal experiment. In clinical research, 49 participants were divided into four groups: healthy controls (HC, n = 11), insomnia with normal cognition (IS, n = 14), mild cognitive impairment without insomnia (MCI, n = 10), and insomnia with mild cognitive impairment (IS-MCI, n = 14). Magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) was used to evaluate the neural γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and glutamate–glutamine (Glx) in bilateral thalamus. In experimental studies, the rat model of sleep deprivation combined with amyloid-β (Aβ) injection was established, after behavior testing, the levels of Glx, choline (Cho) and N-acetyl aspartate (NAA) in the bilateral hippocampus were evaluated with MRS.
Results
The patients in the IS-MCI group exhibited significantly lower GABA level than IS, MCI and HC groups. Results from rat studies showed that sleep deprivation exacerbated asymmetric alterations in Aβ-induced bilateral hippocampal metabolite abnormalities, which correlated with cognition. These neuro-metabolite disruption accompanied with synaptic loss and activation of astrocytes.
Conclusions
The lateralized decrease in GABA levels of thalamus and NAA, Cho, and Glx levels of hippocampus under conditions of sleep disturbance with cognitive decline may provide evidence for the neural metabolic mechanisms underlying the disruption of memory consolidation.
... Motor learning was assessed through a Finger Tapping Task (FTT) [23]. Specifically, FTT is a motor sequence learning task in which subjects are asked to tap with their hand a 5-digit sequence quickly and precisely by using the numerical keys on a computer keyboard. ...
... Indeed, although various tasks are currently available for assessing motor learning abilities in stroke patients, the FTT offers several advantages. It is easy to understand and execute, without requiring high cognitive load [23]. Additionally, it allows the assessment of fine motor control and finger movements, frequently impaired in stroke patients [40,41]. ...
Background: After stroke, patients must learn to use residual motor function correctly. Consistently, motor learning is crucial
in stroke motor recovery. We assessed motor performance, practice-dependent on-line motor learning, and factors potentially
affecting them in stroke patients.
Methods: This is a cross-sectional observational study. Twenty-six patients with first brain stroke leading to upper limb
motor deficit in the subacute or chronic timeframe were enrolled. They performed a Finger Tapping Task (FTT) with both
the affected and unaffected limbs. We assessed how patients learn to perform motor tasks despite the motor deficit and the
differences in performance between the unaffected and affected limbs. Furthermore, by randomizing the order, we evalu-
ated the possible inter-limb transfer of motor learning (i.e. transfer of a motor skill learned in one limb to the opposite one).
Moreover, sleep, attention, anxiety, and depression were assessed through specific tests and questionnaires.
Results: Improved FTT accuracy and completed sequences for the affected limb were observed, even if lower than for the
unaffected one. Furthermore, when patients initially performed the FTT with the unaffected limb, they showed higher accu-
racy in subsequent task completion with the affected limb than subjects who started with the affected limb. Only anxiety and
attentional abilities showed significant correlations with motor performance.
Conclusions: This work provides relevant insights into motor learning in stroke. Practice-dependent on-line motor learning
is preserved in stroke survivors, and an inter-limb transfer effect can be observed. Attentional abilities and anxiety can affect
learning after stroke, even if the effect of other factors cannot be excluded.
... Procedural motor skill learning was assessed using the Finger Sequence Tapping Task (FSTT) (Cellini, 2017). The learning phase consists of 12 trials. ...
... Methodological variances across existing studies make it difficult to determine whether sleep preferentially enhances emotional memory consolidation above and beyond the consolidation of neutral memories [5,6]. Further, the specific impacts of a common sleep disorder, obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA), on emotional memory are poorly understood [7]. To this end, this review will consolidate existing evidence pertaining to the models and mechanisms through which sleep is theorised to impact emotional memory and apply it to a specific sleep disordered population. ...
Purpose of review
The effect of sleep on the encoding and consolidation of emotional memory has been explored in multiple studies, however results are inconsistent. The purpose of this review is to synthesise current literature outlining the association between emotional memory and sleep, and to apply existing knowledge to a sleep disordered population.
Recent findings
A sleep opportunity following encoding enhances the consolidation of emotional memories, however investigations into the contributing mechanisms have returned mixed results. The impact of sleep prior to encoding of emotional stimuli is less well known, however current studies suggest a bias towards negative over neutral and positive stimuli if sleep deprivation occurs prior to learning. Hormones such as cortisol and norepinephrine appear to play a key role in the enhancing effect seen for emotional memories after sleep. Neural activity during slow wave and rapid eye movement (REM) sleep may have a distinct but complementary role in this effect. Finally, populations with OSA may be at increased risk of mood disorder and poor emotional memory consolidation.
Summary
Further studies should consider the complimentary processes of slow wave and REM sleep in the consolidation of emotional memory. Long term effects of untreated OSA on emotional memory also require further investigation.
... Their results indicated that musical training positively correlates with sustained attention, visuomotor coordination, visual scanning, processing speed, spatial memory, and information processing ability. In another study, Cellini (2017) compared the performance of musicians and non-musicians on verbal working memory tasks and found that musicians consistently outperformed non-musicians. These findings underscore the connection between musical training and enhanced executive functions, including working memory (Henriksson et al., 2022). ...
... This aspect is crucial in music education, where exercises designed to enhance working memory and overall cognitive abilities bridge psychological principles with musical training. Research, including studies by Cellini (2017) and Aloysius (2010), has shown that musical training correlates positively with an array of cognitive skills, such as sustained attention, visuomotor coordination, and spatial memory. These findings suggest that musical training bolsters not only specific working memory components but also a broader spectrum of executive functions. ...
This review investigates the crucial impact of working memory training on improving musical dictation abilities in music students. Ear training, a fundamental aspect of solfeggio courses in higher education, forms the basis for a wide array of musical competencies. The review presents a comprehensive synthesis of the definitions, theoretical frameworks, and empirical findings pertaining to working memory, with a particular focus on its influential role in music education. Central to this review is the multi-component model of working memory, which is examined in detail across its various developments and practical applications within cognitive psychology. The review thoroughly analyzes how working memory intersects with music dictation, emphasizing the critical role of memory in both understanding and performing music. It explores the physiological and cognitive aspects of musical memory, highlighting its importance in the development of auditory skills. Additionally, the article reviews various methodologies employed in working memory training, such as the n-back task, assessing their effectiveness in enhancing cognitive abilities relevant to music education. It delves into the concept of transfer effects in working memory training, differentiating between 'near transfer' and 'far transfer', and discusses their significance in the context of music education, particularly in tasks like rhythmic dictation. In summary, this review offers an in-depth exploration of the connection between working memory training and its practical implications in music dictation. It elucidates the transformative impact that cognitive training techniques can have in advancing music dictation skills, thereby making a substantial contribution to pedagogical strategies in the realm of music education.
... Lo et al. 2022;Saenz et al. 2021), which needs further investigation. Similarly, sleep disturbances, such as frequent awakenings and fragmented sleep were not considered in this study, which could disrupt the restorative processes necessary for memory consolidation and neural repair (Cellini 2017;Zisapel 2007 Notes: Model 1 is adjusted for age, education and marital status; Model 2 is additionally adjusted for other socio-demographics such as household wealth quintile, religion, social group, place of residence and states; Model 3 is fully adjusted model, i.e., additionally adjusted for the health variables such as nutritional intake, body mass index, physical activity, self-rated health, chronic conditions and smoking status; CI: Confidence interval; *** p < 0.001, ** p < 0.01, * p < 0.05 Table 3 (continued) Muhammad et al. Sleep Science and Practice (2024) duration deprives the brain of sufficient time to engage in these crucial processes, leading to cognitive impairments over time (Lim and Dinges 2010;Lo et al. 2016), and these pathways should be considered in future studies. ...
Background
Sleep is an essential component of human health and well-being, playing a crucial role in several cognitive processes, including attention, memory, and executive function. In this study, we aimed to examine the association between sleep quality, sleep duration and cognitive functioning among older men and women in India.
Methods
Data come from the World Health Organization’s Study on global AGEing and adult health (WHO-SAGE), India wave-2, which was conducted in 2015 in six selected states of India, representing different country regions. The sample included 6,396 older adults aged 50 years and above. We used multivariable linear regression models to examine the associations between sleep quality, sleep duration and cognitive function, separately among older men and women.
Results
Older men and women with poor sleep and short duration sleep had lower mean scores of cognition than their peers with good sleep and age-appropriate sleep duration. Poor sleep (aCoef: -5.09, CI: -8.66, -1.51) and short duration sleep (aCoef: -5.43, CI: -7.77, -3.10) were negatively associated with cognitive functioning among older men and the associations remained significant among older men with poor sleep (aCoef: -2.39, CI: -3.78, -1.00) and short duration sleep (aCoef: -4.39, CI: -6.46, -2.31) after adjusting for a large number of socio-demographic, health and behavioral factors. Similarly, poor sleep (aCoef: -3.15, CI: -5.79, -0.52) and short duration sleep (aCoef: -2.72, CI: -4.64, -0.81) were associated with cognitive functioning among older women, however, the associations were insignificant when the potential confounders were adjusted.
Conclusions
This study provides evidence for the significant association between sleep health and cognitive functioning in older Indian adults, especially older men, with poor sleep quality and insufficient sleep duration being detrimental to their cognitive health. Healthcare providers should routinely screen for sleep quality and age-appropriate sleep duration in their older adult patients and consider sex/gender-tailored sleep interventions as part of cognitive health management strategies.
... For example, studies of patients with sleep disorders (such as primary insomnia, obstructive sleep apnea or sleep-disordered breathing) often compare a pathological group with a healthy control group in an evening-to-morning 12-h Sleep condition 63,64 (Fig. 1, condition 1) (for reviews, see refs. 65,66). However, if patients show a smaller benefit of the overnight period on performance than control participants, one cannot disentangle whether it is caused by the specific effect of sleep (state-dependent consolidation) or by a trait-dependent effect of sleep disturbances on memory processes including encoding, retrieval and consolidation or susceptibility to interference 65,[67][68][69] . ...
Understanding the complex relationship between sleep and memory consolidation is a major challenge in cognitive neuroscience and psychology. Many studies suggest that sleep triggers off-line memory processes, resulting in less forgetting of declarative memory and performance stabilization in non-declarative memory. However, the role of sleep in human memory consolidation is still under considerable debate, and numerous contradictory and non-replicable findings have been reported. Methodological issues related to experimental designs, task characteristics and measurements, and data-analysis practices all influence the effects that are observed and their interpretation. In this Perspective, we review methodological issues in sleep and memory studies and suggest constructive solutions to address them. We believe that implementing these solutions in future sleep and memory research will substantially advance the field and improve understanding of the specific role of sleep in memory consolidation. Sections
