Sleep
Depth and Classical Conditioning During Sleep: A Preliminary Study
K. Ikeda & T. Morotomi |
In
order to assess learning abilities during human sleep, subjects underwent
a classical conditioning (tone paired with electric stimulus) using
the heart rate as a measure. Subject TY was conditioned in stage
2 sleep while subject AU in slow wave sleep (stage 3 + 4). The conditional
responses (CR) formed solely in TY. Two weeks after the preceding
study AU received differential reinforcements during each of stage
2 and 3 + 4 at the same time, which was managed by replacing CS+
and CS- between these stages. Conditional discrimination was found
in stage 2 only. It is possibly concluded that the difference of
conditionability in both sleep stages reflects their depth of sleep.
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