Free Effects of REM Sleep Deprivation on Memory Function Essay Sample

The article is about the investigation of the effects of REM sleep deprivation procedures on the different facets of memory function in human beings. The article is as a result of a study undertaken to improve prior studies which had postulated that memory is affected by REM sleep. While previous research focused mainly on the declarative and procedural types of memory function this study takes into account, maintenance, acquisition and recall. Previous studies were often limited to stimulus appertaining to a single modality. The current study was thus an attempt to study fundamentals of processing and memory function in a singular setting. The test established that performance in tests was not a function of sleep deprivation (Bloch et al, 1a979).

 
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The study incorporated 24 participants who were medical and science students in university. The participants then are divided into a control and REMD group to undergo two days of tests. Sleep scoring and recording of the volunteers was then done through electroencephalography. Afterwards the participants underwent a process of selective sleep deprivation. Memory tests were then given to the participants in the form of; California verbal learning test, Complex figure test, Corsi block-tapping test, the coding test, emotional oddball paradigm, digit span test, and word stem tests (Bloch et al, 1979)..

The results of the test showed no insignificant differences between the control and REMD group in all the tests performed in session 1. There were only small differences which were experienced in session two however. The results were consistent with the hypothesis in stating that sleep deprivation was not a function of sleep deprivation. The study proved though not conclusively that sleep deprivation is not a function of sleep deprivation. More research has to be done as the results for section two showed some differences between the groups. The study serves the purpose of pointing toward the need for more research concerning this subject.

The study is a quite a good article as it makes assumptions and then tries them out and makes conclusions. However more research has to be done in order to come to the conclusions reached as making conclusions without taking into account the results of session two would defeat the purpose of the study.

 

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