To examine the relations between sleep (nap transitions, sleep physiology), memory, and brain development longitudinally, the researchers will assess n=180 children (in order to acquire n=152 usable data sets) who are 36-54 months of age and habitual nappers at enrollment. In each wave, the researchers will assess memory, memory change over a nap and equivalent waking interval, sleep physiology of the nap, and brain structure and function (using Magnetic Resonance Imagining or MRI). Additionally, overnight sleep physiology will be assessed in all participants. Waves will take place approximately every 6 months. For all children, three waves will be collected. With these data, the researchers will address the following aims:
* Examine neural markers that predict the sleep transition (Aim 1); * Examine changes in sleep-dependent memory processing (mnemonic discrimination) over both nap and overnight sleep intervals, across the sleep transition (Aim 2); * Examine changes in sleep microstructure in both nap and overnight sleep across the sleep transition (Aim 3) * Examine interrelations among brain, memory and sleep microstructure across the sleep transition (Aim 4)
36-60 months at the time of enrollment
must be a habitual napper (defined as napping 5 or more days/week on average for the past month)
must sleep independently (not bedsharing; in order to maintain consistent sleep not interrupted by others)
diagnosis of any sleep disorder (other than mild parasomnia which is routine at this age) past or present (Child's Sleep Habit Questionnaire)
current use of psychotropic or sleep-altering medications (Developmental, Health, and Environment Questionnaire)
traveling beyond 1 time zone within 1 month prior to testing (phone screening)
fever or symptoms of respiratory illness at the time of testing (phone screening)
Single group
nap
BehavioralChildren are nap promoted
Memory
Memory will be assessed using the Mnemonic Similarity Task (MST), before and after nap/wake and overnight sleep. The specific variable of interest is the lure discrimination index, which refers to the probability of "Similar" responses to lure items minus the probability of "Similar" responses given to foils.
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University of Maryland, College Park
Lead sponsor
University of Massachusetts, Amherst
Collaborator
