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Sleep divergently affects cognitive and automatic emotional response in children
Elaina Bolinger1, Jan Born2, Katharina Zinke1
1Institute of Medical Psychology and Behavioral Neurobiology, University of Tübingen, 72076, Germany.
Neuropsychologia
|May 22, 2018
Summary
Nocturnal sleep enhances memory for emotional pictures in children. Sleep reduces emotional ratings and EEG (late positive potential), but increases heart rate deceleration, suggesting complex emotional memory consolidation.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Neuroscience
- Sleep Research
- Developmental Psychology
Background:
- Sleep is known to enhance memory consolidation for emotional experiences.
- The specific impact of sleep on the emotional response *associated* with memories, especially in developing children, remains unclear.
- Children aged 8-11 exhibit unique sleep-related features impacting emotional memory.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate how nocturnal sleep influences memory for negative and neutral pictures in children (8-11 years old).
- To compare the effects of sleep versus wakefulness on the emotional response linked to these memories.
Main Methods:
- Participants (8-11 years old) underwent sleep and wakefulness sessions.
- Memory for negative and neutral pictures was assessed.
- Emotional responses were measured using subjective ratings, electroencephalography (EEG) late positive potential (LPP), and heart rate deceleration (HRD).
Main Results:
- Sleep significantly enhanced picture memory recall compared to wakefulness.
- Sleep led to decreased emotional responses in subjective ratings and LPP.
- Conversely, sleep increased emotional responses as indicated by HRD.
Conclusions:
- Nocturnal sleep consolidates the immediate emotional meaning of memories in children.
- Sleep appears to enhance automatic emotional responses (HRD) while promoting top-down control (reduced ratings, LPP).
- These effects may be mediated by strengthened neocortical representations during sleep.
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