Sleep enhances implicit motor skill learning in individuals poststroke

Abstract

Background: Although sleep has been demonstrated to be critical for learning and the consolidation of memories in neurologically intact individuals, the importance of sleep for learning in neuropathological populations remains unknown.

Method: To assess the influence of sleep on implicit motor skill learning and memory consolidation post stroke, 18 individuals with stroke and 18 neurologically intact age-matched individuals were assigned to either the sleep group (slept between practice of a continuous tracking task and retention testing) or the no-sleep group (stayed awake between practice and retention testing).

Results: Only the individuals post stroke who slept between practice and retention testing demonstrated implicit motor learning at retention. The individuals with stroke who did not sleep and both the age-matched control groups (sleep and no-sleep) failed to demonstrate learning. These findings provide evidence that after stroke individuals can enhance implicit motor skill learning and motor memory consolidation by sleeping between practice and retention tests.

Conclusion: These data suggest that ensuring adequate sleep between rehabilitation therapy sessions and normalizing sleep cycles following stroke may be important variables that can positively influence implicit motor learning after stroke-related brain damage.