Behavioral and Brain Sciences



Short Communication

Consolidating consolidation? Sleep stages, memory systems, and procedures


John A. Groeger a1 and Derk-Jan Dijk a2
a1 Department of Psychology and Surrey Sleep Research Centre, University of Surrey, Guildford, GU2 7XH, United Kingdom j.groeger@surrey.ac.uk http://www.surrey.ac.uk/Psychology/staff/j.groeger/
a2 Surrey Sleep Research Centre and School of Biomedical and Molecular Sciences, University of Surrey, Guildford, GU2 7XH, United Kingdom d.j.dijk@surrey.ac.uk http://www.surrey.ac.uk/SBMS/SSRC/

Abstract

We argue that by neglecting the fact that procedural memory may also have episodic qualities, and by considering only a systems approach to memory, Walker's account of consolidation of learning during subsequent sleep ignores alternative accounts of how sleep stages may be interdependent. We also question the proposition that sleep-based consolidation largely bypasses hippocampal structures.