Word encoding during sleep is suggested by correlations between word-evoked up-states and post-sleep semantic priming.

ABSTRACT: To test whether humans can encode words during sleep we played everyday words to men while they were napping and assessed priming from sleep-played words following waking. Words were presented during non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep. Priming was assessed using a semantic and a perceptual priming test. These tests measured differences in the processing of words that had been or had not been played during sleep. Synonyms to sleep-played words were the targets in the semantic priming test that tapped the meaning of sleep-played words. All men responded to sleep-played words by producing up-states in their electroencephalogram. Up-states are NREM sleep-specific phases of briefly increased neuronal excitability. The word-evoked up-states might have promoted word processing during sleep. Yet,

SUBMITTER: Ruch S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4231834 | biostudies-literature | 2014

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature