The Delta Eeg Power Was Increased After Motor Learning

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The beneficial role of sleep in motor memory consolidation is now well documented. However, there has been only insufficient evidence to document neurophysiological mechanism of sleep, namely sleep stages and electroencephalographic pattern on memory consolidation. PURPOSE: We examined the effects of two hour daytime nap on three-ball cascade juggling. In addition, neurophysiological mechanism of sleep related to the memory consolidation was examined by recording and analyzing the EEG during sleep. METHODS: Subjects were 16 female college students. They were divided into nap group and control group. All subject practiced juggling for 15min, and juggling technique was evaluated in the morning. Subsequently, nap group took a 2 h nap while control group stayed awake. Both groups retested juggling in the evening. Before these experiments, nap group had taken 2 h nap in the same environment to compare with nap after juggling practice. Juggling comparisons were made using two-way ANOVA. The EEG was recorded at 8 scalp sites (Fz, Cz, Pz, POz, Oz, C3, C4, and A2 according to the international 10-20 system). Moreover, to examine EEG during nap more closely, EEG was subjected to fast Fourier transform (FFT) analysis. RESULTS: Nap group improve the juggling performance after 2 h nap (p < 0.001). Control group did not show the improvement. Compared to the baseline nap, sleep efficiency, total sleep time, and slow wave sleep (SWS) time was increased (p< 0.05.). Compared with baseline nap, delta EEG (1.0Hz∼4.0Hz) power and slow oscillation (0.3Hz∼1.0Hz) power during NREM sleep in after learning nap was increase (delta EEG power: p < 0.05, slow oscillation power: p < 0.1). CONCLUSIONS: This result suggested that sleep facilitate memory consolidation in three-ball cascade juggling. This may indicate that SWS facilitates motor memory consolidation during sleep, because the time of SWS increased in after motor learning nap. This result is consistent with the research of Gais et al. (2000) and Born et al. (2006). In addition, this study show delta EEG power in after motor learning nap was increased. The present study reported that delta wave and slow oscillation related to the information processing activity during SWS (Dang-Vu et al. 2008). The result of this study might involve these brain areas.