Sleep Does Not Benefit Probabilistic Motor Sequence Learning
Open accessAbstract
It has become widely accepted that sleep-dependent consolidation occurs for motor sequence learning based on studies using finger-tapping tasks. Studies using another motor sequence learning task [the serial response time task (SRTT)] have portrayed a more nuanced picture of off-line consolidation, involving both sleep-dependent and daytime consolidation, as well as modifying influences of explicit awareness. The present study used a variant of the SRTT featuring probabilistic sequences to investigate off-line consolidation. Probabilistic sequences confer two advantages: first, spontaneous explicit awareness does not occur, and second, sequence learning measures are continuous, making it easier to separate general skill from sequence-specific learning. We found that sleep did not enhance general skill or sequence-specific learning. In contrast, daytime enhancement occurred for general skill but not for sequence-specific learning. Overall, these results suggest that motor learning does not always undergo consolidation with sleep.
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Sleep-dependent gains in skills are more robust under explicit learning conditions than under implicit learning conditions.
“First, sleep-dependent gains in skills are more robust under explicit learning conditions (i.e., the subjects are aware about the skill to be acquired) (383, 664, 1285) compared with implicit learning conditions (385,1003,1122,1128).”
From About Sleep's Role in Memory (2013) · cites this paper as [1122]
The Introduction describes sleep-related gains in finger-tapping tasks that use a known, explicit sequence, while the General summary reports no sleep-dependent gains in this study's relatively pure implicit-learning measure. The Lack of sleep-related effects section says enhancement may occur only with explicit motor-sequence learning, but presents that comparison as a possibility, not an established difference in robustness. (LLM, conf=0.84)
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredSleep-dependent benefits are also not consistently revealed in younger subjects for this task, possibly due to the great complexity of the underlying sequence rules associated with a higher degree of implicitness at learning.
“However, sleepdependent benefits are also not consistently revealed in younger subjects for this task, possibly due to the great complexity of the underlying sequence rules associated with a higher degree of implicitness at learning (852,1122,1123).”
From About Sleep's Role in Memory (2013) · cites this paper as [1122]
The Subjects and design section describes participants aged 18–25, and the General summary reports no sleep-dependent consolidation of sequence learning. The Introduction says probabilistic sequences are less likely to produce explicit awareness, while Lack of sleep-related effects proposes lack of explicit awareness as one possible explanation. The paper does not attribute the finding to the great complexity of the underlying sequence rules. (LLM, conf=0.86)
Experimental — accuracy not yet measured
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- Authors
- Song, S., Howard, J. H., & Howard, D. V.
- Affiliations
- Georgetown University (US)
- Venue
- The Journal of Neuroscience
- Publisher
- Society for Neuroscience
- Published
- 2007-11-14
- Volume
- 27
- Issue
- 46
- Pages
- 12475-12483
- ISSN
- 0270-6474 (ISSN-L)
- 1529-2401
- PMC
- PMC6673329
- OpenAlex
- W2028263944
- Cited by
- 195
- References
- 11
- Citations by year
- 2026: 8 · 2025: 8 · 2024: 5 · 2023: 4 · 2022: 8 · 2021: 18 · 2020: 14 · 2019: 12 · 2018: 7 · 2017: 17 · 2016: 8 · 2015: 10 · 2014: 15 · 2013: 16 · 2012: 8
- FWCI
- 4.17
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- hybrid
- doi.org
- Licence
- Locations
- Journal of Neuroscience (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc-sa)
- PubMed Central (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- National Institutes of Health
- National Institute on Aging (R37 AG15450, R37AG015450)
- National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (F31NS053388)
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Sleep and Wakefulness Research
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Motor Control and Adaptation
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Memory and Neural Mechanisms
- Keywords
- motor sequence learning, explicit awareness
- MeSH terms
- Adolescent, Adult, Awareness, Brain, Cues, Female, Humans, Learning, Learning Disabilities, Male, Memory, Movement, Neuropsychological Tests, Psychomotor Performance, Sleep, Sleep Deprivation, Models, Statistical
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