Brief posttrial REM sleep deprivation impairs discrimination learning in rats

Deprivation of REM sleep (REMD) for about 3 h immediately after each training session greatly impaired brightness discrimination learning in a Y-maze. REMD beginning 2 h after training had no effect. Immediate REMD did not impair position learning in this maze. These results suggested that one function of REM sleep is the consolidation or assimilation of information for which the animal is relatively unprepared, as described by Seligman (1970). Consolidation of learning for which the rat is prepared appears to be independent of REM sleep.

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