Short-term REM deprivation does not affect acquisition or reversal of a spatial learning task

Although there is a general belief that rapid eye movement sleep (REM) is essential for spatial memory tasks such as the Morris water maze (MWM), there is conflicting evidence for this assertion. This study investigated the effects of short-term REM deprivation on acquisition and reversal of the MWM by varying the timing of REM deprivation and the degree of task acquisition in three separate experiments. There was no evidence for a detrimental effect of REM deprivation on acquisition, retention, or reversal in the MWM. These data add to a growing body of evidence that although REM is important for certain types of learning and memory, spatial memory, as assessed by the MWM, is not among them.