The impact of sleep on memory selectivity and problem solving: Common and distinct neural mechanisms - Sleep is important for cognitive well-being, yet many adults do not get enough sleep. Sleep is
especially important for selectively strengthening memories that are emotionally salient,
associated with rewards, and relevant for future use; and sleep’s effect on memory selectivity
may exacerbate some mental disorders. However, the neural mechanisms of sleep-facilitated
selectivity are still being identified, and whether the same mechanisms generalize across
different cognitive domains such as emotional memory and problem solving is unknown. The
current research will examine 1) the interaction and unique contribution of sleep to emotional
memory selectivity and problem solving; 2) the neural signatures of sleep’s effect on selectivity;
and 3) whether targeted memory reactivation during rapid eye movement sleep similarly
facilitates emotional memory selectivity and problem solving. We will record participants’ brain
activity using EEG while they sleep in one of four state-of-the-art laboratory bedrooms, allowing
us to precisely identify participants’ sleep stages and associated neural signatures. This
research will lead to a better understanding of the neural mechanisms of sleep’s effect on
cognition, allowing future research to examine the effect of sleep disruption on sleep-facilitated
selectivity. The fellowship training plan will enable the applicant to conduct the proposed
research and prepare her for a future career as an independent researcher. Through
coursework, workshops, and mentorship, the applicant will extend her prior training in problem
solving to include expertise in the cognitive neuroscience of sleep and memory, including EEG
analysis techniques such as spectral power analysis, sleep spindle detection, and slow-
oscillation-spindle coupling. In addition, the training plan provides extensive professional
development in areas of academic communication, research management, and research ethics.
Results from the proposed research will be widely disseminated in scientific meetings and
publications, and will inform novel research questions at the intersection of sleep, memory, and
problem solving, providing a solid foundation from which the applicant can launch her
independent research career.
