scholarly journals Pitfalls in Sleep and Memory Research and How to Avoid Them: A Consensus Paper

Author(s):  
Dezso Nemeth ◽  
Emilie Gerbier ◽  
Jan Born ◽  
Timothy Rickard ◽  
Genevieve Albouy ◽  
...  

Understanding the complex relationship between sleep and memory is a major challenge in neuroscience. Thousands of studies on memory consolidation in humans suggest that sleep triggers offline memory processes, resulting in less forgetting of declarative memory and performance stabilization in non-declarative memory. However, an increasing number of contradictory findings reveal potential issues with how research is conducted in this field and call into question the reliability and interpretation of the results. In this consensus paper, we describe four sets of prevalent methodological pitfalls in human sleep and memory research: (i) non-optimal experimental designs, (ii) task complexity, (iii) fatigue effects in repetitive tasks, and (iv) inappropriate data analysis practices. We then offer solutions to each of these pitfalls. We believe that implementing these solutions in future research of sleep and memory will lead to more reliable results and significantly advance our understanding in this field.

Author(s):  
Dezso Nemeth ◽  
Emilie Gerbier ◽  
Karolina Janacsek

Understanding the complex relationship between sleep and memory is one of the biggest challenges in neuroscience. Thousands of studies on memory consolidation suggest that sleep triggers offline memory processes, resulting in less forgetting in declarative memory and performance improvement in non-declarative memory. However, an increasing number of contradictory findings reveal potential issues with how research is conducted in this field, that weaken the reliability of these results. Here we describe four methodological pitfalls with respect to experimental designs and statistical analyses that should be avoided in order to unveil the true effect of sleep on memory consolidation: non-optimal experimental designs, task complexity, fatigue effect in repetitive tasks, and data analysis and availability. We then offer solutions that can be used in future research of sleep-dependent consolidation and also more broadly in memory research.


Author(s):  
Alejandra Alonso ◽  
Lisa Genzel ◽  
Angela Gomez

Abstract Purposes of Review This review highlights the effect of sex differences in sleep mediated memory consolidation and cognitive performance. In addition, the role of menstrual cycle and the fluctuating level of sexual hormones (mainly oestrogen and progesterone) are stressed. Recent Findings The literature indicates that sex hormones mediate and orchestrate the differences observed in performance of females in comparison with males in a variety of tasks and can also be related to how sleep benefits cognition. Although the exact mechanism of such influence is not clear, it most likely involves differential activation of brain areas, sensitivity to neuromodulators (mainly oestrogen), circadian regulation of sleep and temperature, as well as modification of strategies to solve tasks across the menstrual cycle. Summary With the evidence presented here, we hope to encourage researchers to develop appropriate paradigms to study the complex relationship between menstrual cycle, sleep (its regulation, architecture and electrophysiological hallmarks) and performance in memory and other cognitive tasks.


Author(s):  
Reeta Yadav

Employee’s perception regarding fairness in the organization is termed as organizational justice. The objective of this paper is to study the antecedents and consequences of organizational justice on the basis of earlier relevant studies from the period ranging from 1964 to 2015. Previous research identified employee participation, communication, justice climate as the antecedents and trust, job satisfaction, commitment, turnover intentions, organizational citizenship behavior and performance as the consequences of organizational justice. Finding reveals the gaps existing in the literature and gives suggestions for future research work.


Author(s):  
Serghei Musaji ◽  
Julio De Castro

Despite the continuous interest in studying entrepreneurial teams, the relationship between team composition and, particularly, team diversity and performance remains fertile ground for active debate. Taking roots in the knowledge-based view and organizational learning literatures, this chapter argues that performance in entrepreneurial teams is contingent on (a) the overlap between team members’ knowledge/competences and the content of the performed tasks, (b) the duplication of the team members’ knowledge in the areas with that content, (c) the nature of tasks (exploration or exploitation), (d) the team’s flexibility to adapt to changes in the content and nature of those tasks, and (e) the rate of environmental change. Because an important source of ambiguity in the understanding of how team diversity and performance are linked ties to issues of how team diversity is conceptualized and operationalized, the chapter also proposes a new way of looking at diversity in future research.


Author(s):  
Fred Luthans ◽  
Carolyn M. Youssef

Over the years, both management practitioners and academics have generally assumed that positive workplaces lead to desired outcomes. Unlike psychology, considerable attention has also been devoted to the study of positive topics such as job satisfaction and organizational commitment. However, to place a scientifically based focus on the role that positivity may play in the development and performance of human resources, and largely stimulated by the positive psychology initiative, positive organizational behavior (POB) and psychological capital (PsyCap) have recently been introduced into the management literature. This chapter first provides an overview of both the historical and contemporary positive approaches to the workplace. Then, more specific attention is given to the meaning and domain of POB and PsyCap. Our definition of POB includes positive psychological capacities or resources that can be validly measured, developed, and have performance impact. The constructs that have been determined so far to best meet these criteria are efficacy, hope, optimism, and resiliency. When combined, they have been demonstrated to form the core construct of what we term psychological capital (PsyCap). A measure of PsyCap is being validated and this chapter references the increasing number of studies indicating that PsyCap can be developed and have performance impact. The chapter concludes with important future research directions that can help better understand and build positive workplaces to meet current and looming challenges.


2021 ◽  
pp. 105960112110169
Author(s):  
Christopher W. Wiese ◽  
C. Shawn Burke ◽  
Yichen Tang ◽  
Claudia Hernandez ◽  
Ryan Howell

Under what conditions do team learning behaviors best predict team performance? The current meta-analytic efforts synthesize results from 113 effect sizes and 7758 teams to investigate how different conceptualizations (fundamental, intrateam, and interteam), team characteristics (team size and team familiarity), task characteristics (interdependence, complexity, and type), and methodological characteristics (students vs. nonstudents and measurement choice) affect the relationship between team learning behaviors and team performance. Our results suggest that while different conceptualizations of team learning behaviors independently predict performance, only intrateam learning behaviors uniquely predict performance. A more in-depth investigation into the moderating conditions contradicts the familiar adage of “it depends.” The strength of the relationship between intrateam learning behaviors and team performance did not depend on team familiarity, task complexity, or sample type. However, our results suggested this relationship was stronger in larger teams, teams with moderate task interdependence, teams performing project/action tasks, and studies that use measures that capture a wider breadth of the team learning behavior construct space. These efforts suggest that common boundary conditions do not moderate this relationship. Scholars can leverage these results to develop more comprehensive theories addressing the different conceptualizations of team learning behaviors as well as providing clarity on the scenarios where team learning behaviors are most needed. Further, practitioners can use our results to develop more guided team-based policies that can overcome some of the challenges of forming and developing learning teams.


2021 ◽  
pp. bjsports-2020-103696
Author(s):  
Richard Weiler ◽  
Cheri Blauwet ◽  
David Clarke ◽  
Kristine Dalton ◽  
Wayne Derman ◽  
...  

Concussion is a frequent injury in many sports and is also common in para athletes. However, there is a paucity of concussion research related to para sport, and prior International Concussion in Sport (CIS) consensus papers have not substantively addressed this population. To remedy this and to improve concussion care provided to para athletes, the concussion in para sport (CIPS) multidisciplinary expert group was created. This group analysed and discussed in-depth para athlete-specific issues within the established key clinical domains of the current (2017) consensus statement on CIS. Due to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the group held all meetings by video conferencing. The existing Sport Concussion Assessment Tool 5 (SCAT5) for the immediate on-field and office-based off-field assessment of concussion was evaluated as part of this process, to identify any para athlete-specific concerns. Regular preparticipation and periodic health examinations are essential to determine a baseline reference point for concussion symptoms but pose additional challenges for the interpreting clinician. Further considerations for concussion management for the para athlete are required within the remove, rest, reconsider and refer consensus statement framework. Considering return to sport (RTS), the 2017 CIS consensus statement has limitations when considering the RTS of the para athlete. Case-by-case decision making related to RTS following concussion is imperative for para athletes. Additional challenges exist for the evaluation and management of concussion in para athletes. There is a need for greater understanding of existing knowledge gaps and attitudes towards concussion among athlete medical staff, coaches and para athletes. Future research should investigate the use and performance of common assessment tools in the para athlete population to better guide their clinical application and inform potential modifications. Concussion prevention strategies and sport-specific rule changes, such as in Para Alpine Skiing and Cerebral Palsy Football, also should be carefully considered to reduce the occurrence of concussion in para athletes.


Author(s):  
Michelle A. Frazer ◽  
Yesenia Cabrera ◽  
Rockelle S. Guthrie ◽  
Gina R. Poe

Abstract Purpose of review This paper reviews all optogenetic studies that directly test various sleep states, traits, and circuit-level activity profiles for the consolidation of different learning tasks. Recent findings Inhibiting or exciting neurons involved either in the production of sleep states or in the encoding and consolidation of memories reveals sleep states and traits that are essential for memory. REM sleep, NREM sleep, and the N2 transition to REM (characterized by sleep spindles) are integral to memory consolidation. Neural activity during sharp-wave ripples, slow oscillations, theta waves, and spindles are the mediators of this process. Summary These studies lend strong support to the hypothesis that sleep is essential to the consolidation of memories from the hippocampus and the consolidation of motor learning which does not necessarily involve the hippocampus. Future research can further probe the types of memory dependent on sleep-related traits and on the neurotransmitters and neuromodulators required.


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