Development of learning and memory in mice after brief paradoxical sleep deprivation.

The effects of three hour paradoxical sleep deprivation (3 hr PSD) via the water tank procedure to produce retrograde amnesia of active avoidance and inhibitory avoidance learning was examined in mice. Results indicated no memory impairment in experimentally treated groups. An attempt was then made to induce amnesia by administering ECS immediately after 3 hr PSD thereby increasing the susceptibility of the memory trace to disruption. This procedure, however, also results in good retention. We conclude that the paradoxical sleep (PS) phase immediately after aversively motivated training is not essential for subsequent development of learning and memory. These results do not, however, detract from previously reported protracted PSD effects on memory storage processes.