Cited by 151Sleep and Wakefulness ResearchMemory Processes and InfluencesMemory and Neural Mechanisms

The Role of Sleep in Directed Forgetting and Remembering of Human Memories

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Saletin, Jared M., Goldstein, Andrea N., Walker, Matthew P.·2011·Cerebral Cortex

Abstract

Ample evidence supports a role for sleep in the offline consolidation of memory. However, circumstances exist where forgetting can be as critical as remembering, both in daily life and clinically. Using a directed forgetting paradigm, here, we investigate the impact of explicit cue instruction during learning, prior to sleep, on subsequent remembering and forgetting of memory, after sleep. We demonstrate that sleep, relative to time awake, can selectively ignore the facilitation of items previously cued to be forgotten, yet preferentially enhance recall for items cued to be remembered; indicative of specificity based on prior waking instruction. Moreover, the success of this differential remember/forget effect is strongly correlated with fast sleep spindles over the left superior parietal cortex. Furthermore, electroencephalography source analysis of these spindles revealed a repeating loop of current density between selective memory-related regions of the superior parietal, medial temporal, and right prefrontal cortices. These findings move beyond the classical notion of sleep universally strengthening information. Instead, they suggest a model in which sleep may be more ecologically attuned to instructions present during learning while awake, supporting both remembering and targeted forgetting of human memories.

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Crossref · 10.1093/cercor/bhr034

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  • Indicators of sleep spindle expression consistently correlated with the amount of overnight retention of declarative memories.

    “Furthermore, indicators of sleep spindle expression consistently correlated with the amount of overnight retention of declarative memories (86,213,214,235,446,562,822,1016,1024,1037,1044,1057).”

    From About Sleep's Role in Memory (2013) · cites this paper as [1024]

    The Results (Sleep Physiology Association; page unavailable) report a significant correlation between fast sleep spindles and the difference in recall of words cued to be remembered versus forgotten in the Nap group. The source studied a nap, not overnight retention, and its correlations with recall of either word type separately did not survive correction for multiple comparisons. It therefore does not establish a consistent correlation with declarative-memory retention generally. (LLM, conf=0.88)

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Authors
Saletin, J. M., Goldstein, A. N., & Walker, M. P.
Affiliations
University of California, Berkeley (US)
Venue
Cerebral Cortex
Published
2011-03-31
Volume
21
Issue
11
Pages
2534-2541
ISSN
  • 1047-3211 (ISSN-L)
  • 1460-2199
OpenAlex
W2170445139
Cited by
151
References
93
Citations by year
2026: 3 · 2025: 5 · 2024: 7 · 2023: 6 · 2022: 4 · 2021: 11 · 2020: 12 · 2019: 6 · 2018: 10 · 2017: 17 · 2016: 7 · 2015: 11 · 2014: 18 · 2013: 17 · 2012: 15
FWCI
8.45
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Cerebral Cortex (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
Funders
National Institute on Aging (R01AG031164)
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Sleep and Wakefulness Research
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Memory Processes and Influences
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Memory and Neural Mechanisms
Keywords
sleep, directed forgetting, memory consolidation, sleep spindles, superior parietal cortex, memory retrieval, forgetting, EEG source localization, medial temporal lobe, prefrontal cortex
MeSH terms
Electroencephalography, Female, Humans, Male, Memory, Sleep, Polysomnography

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