Relation between sleep spindles and semantically induced false memory

Overnight sleep promotes memory consolidation, although few studies report no effect of sleep on memory. Previous studies suggest significant correlation between sleep dependent memory consolidation and spindle density. The present study is an attempt to understand the effects of sleep on false memories expressed as function of spindle density.

Fifteen volunteers (all males) were tested on false memory paradigm using semantic associates across sleep and sleep deprivation experimental nights. Volunteers were tested on old/new recognition tests following a night of recovery sleep post experimental night.

The results suggest that the effects of sleep on false memories are not significantly different than those for true memories on old/new recognition test. The study results report difference in correlation between spindle density and true and false memories. False memories demonstrate slightly higher correlations with spindle densities in the right hemisphere.

We conclude that sleep effects on false memories are evident in sleep spindle densities and these effects are more pronounced over the right brain hemisphere.