Research on the contribution of REM sleep to procedural learning

Abstract

Many studies have confirmed the contribution of sleep to memory consolidation. However, the benefit of rapid eye movement (REM) sleep on memory consolidation remains debatable due to discrepant findings. This paper reviewed the latest human studies that employed complex cognitive procedural learning tasks and new learning techniques, including metacognition stimulation and targeted memory reaction (TMR), to provide evidence on the correlation between REM sleep and memory consolidation of procedural learning. Next, the main hypotheses aiming to explain its underlying neurobiological mechanisms were summarized, with a discussion about the striatum's role, the cholinergic system's activity, and synaptic plasticity during REM sleep. Finally, the paper discussed potential reasons for data inconsistency and several aspects that should be considered in future sleep and memory research.