德国科学家一项最新研究发现，睡眠有助将短暂记忆转化为长期记忆。
先前研究显示，短暂记忆存储于大脑名为海马体的部位，长期记忆存放于名为新皮层的部位，类似电脑内存和硬盘的功能。短时间内回想刚记住的内容对把短期记忆转化为长期记忆具有重要作用。
清醒时，重复记忆内容的过程容易受干扰，难以形成长期记忆。
法新社24日报道，德国吕贝克大学研究人员在最新一期《自然杂志神经学专刊》发表的研究报告显示，人在睡眠中“回想”记忆内容时不易受干扰。
研究人员给24名志愿者一些卡片，内容是动物和日常用品图案。志愿者记忆卡片内容同时，研究人员施放少许难闻的气味。
四十分钟后，研究人员要求12名志愿者开始记忆另一些图案稍微不同的卡片。记忆开始前，他们再次施放先前那种气味，帮助志愿者回忆第一批卡片内容。
另一半志愿者开始记忆第二批卡片前睡了一会儿。其间，研究人员施放同一种难闻气味。
实验发现，一直保持清醒的志愿者平均能回忆起60％第一批卡片内容，小睡一会儿的志愿者记住的内容平均为85％。
研究报告首席作者苏珊·戴克尔曼说：“根据脑成像数据，我们认为，睡眠最初数分钟内，记忆内容就开始从海马体转移至新皮层。它产生了这种出人意料的结果。”
戴克尔曼说，大脑实际工作过程并非和电脑一模一样。“人类记忆完全属于动态。记忆并非以静态方式在新皮层中‘存档’，而是在各种影响因素下不断变化。”
回忆也不是简单地“读取”记忆内容，而是“一种重建过程，记忆在那一过程中可能发生变化、出现错误”。（生物谷Bioon.com）
生物谷推荐原文出处：
Nature Neuroscience doi:10.1038/nn.2744
Labile or stable: opposing consequences for memory when reactivated during waking and sleep
Susanne Diekelmann,Christian Büchel,Jan Born& Bj?rn Rasch
Memory consolidation is a dynamic process. Reconsolidation theory assumes that reactivation during wakefulness transiently destabilizes memories, requiring them to reconsolidate in order to persist. Memory reactivation also occurs during slow-wave sleep (SWS) and is assumed to underlie the consolidating effect of sleep. Here, we tested whether the same principle of transient destabilization applies to memory reactivation during SWS. We reactivated memories in humans by presenting associated odor cues either during SWS or wakefulness. Reactivation was followed by an interference task to probe memory stability. As we expected, reactivation during waking destabilized memories. In contrast, reactivation during SWS immediately stabilized memories, thereby directly increasing their resistance to interference. Functional magnetic resonance imaging revealed that reactivation during SWS mainly activated hippocampal and posterior cortical regions, whereas reactivation during wakefulness primarily activated prefrontal cortical areas. Our results show that reactivation of memory serves distinct functions depending on the brain state of wakefulness or sleep.
