Abstract
Similar to sleeping after learning, a brief period of wakeful resting after encoding new information supports memory retention in contrast to task-related cognition. Recent evidence suggests that working memory capacity (WMC) is related to sleep-dependent declarative memory consolidation. We tested whether WMC moderates the effect of a brief period of wakeful resting compared to performing a distractor task subsequent to encoding a word list. Participants encoded and immediately recalled a word list followed by either an 8 min wakeful resting period (eyes closed, relaxed) or by performing an adapted version of the d2 test of attention for 8 min. At the end of the experimental session (after 12–24 min) and again, after 7 days, participants were required to complete a surprise free recall test of both word lists. Our results show that interindividual differences in WMC are a central moderating factor for the effect of post-learning activity on memory retention. The difference in word retention between a brief period of wakeful resting versus performing a selective attention task subsequent to encoding increased in higher WMC individuals over a retention interval of 12–24 min, as well as over 7 days. This effect was reversed in lower WMC individuals. Our results extend findings showing that WMC seems not only to moderate sleep-related but also wakeful resting-related memory consolidation.
Highlights
Similar to sleeping after learning, a brief period of wakeful resting after encoding new information supports memory retention in contrast to task-related cognition
Based on findings that (i) wakeful resting supports the retention of new m emories[6,7, 10,11,12,22,49,50], (ii) working memory capacity (WMC) is associated with sleep-related declarative memory consolidation[45,46,47] and that (iii) neural processes found during closed eye, wakeful resting resemble those found in s leep[7,18,22,51,52], we investigated whether interindividual differences in WMC moderate the beneficial effect of a brief period of wakeful resting after learning compared to distraction on memory retention
We investigated whether WMC moderates the effect of a brief period of wakeful resting compared to performing a selective attention task subsequent to encoding a word list
Summary
Similar to sleeping after learning, a brief period of wakeful resting after encoding new information supports memory retention in contrast to task-related cognition. The difference in word retention between a brief period of wakeful resting versus performing a selective attention task subsequent to encoding increased in higher WMC individuals over a retention interval of 12–24 min, as well as over 7 days. During states in which attentional demands of new information are low, like wakeful resting, memory retention is supported, while high attentional engagement following learning, like performing a cognitive task, has detrimental effects on memory retention. In which no new memories are encoded following learning, have been found to facilitate memory consolidation These states include slow-wave sleep, inhibited long-term potentiation using NMDA antagonists or other amnesia-inducing drugs, or short periods of wakeful resting[17]. In line with this view, Unsworth et al.[44] found that individuals with high WMC retrieved more animal names in a category fluency task than those with low WMC
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