Brain organizes forgettable, indelible memories during sleep
Oct. 5 (UPI) -- Previous studies have highlighted the important role sleep plays in learning and memory formation. New research suggests, during sleep, a person's brain replays memories that go un-recalled when awake. For their study, neuroscientists in Germany recruited epilepsy patients electrodes implanted in their brains for surgical planning. The electrodes allowed scientists to precisely record brain activity patterns. Researchers had participants memorize a series of images. Each image was associated with a unique pattern of brain activity. Later, scientists measured the participants' neural activity while they napped. Researchers were able to recognize the gamma band activity signatures of each images. Their analysis showed, during sleep, the participants' brains reimagined each o...