It is a well known fact around eight hours of sleep is required to function in everyday activities. However, people will still have less hours of sleep due to a number of activities. Some of these activities would include college assignments having to do with completing term papers and studying for exams. While students believe that this would not be an issue, it has been studied that sleep is important for consolidation of memories. Memory consolidation is defined as a time-dependent process by which recent learned experiences are transformed into long-term memory, presumably by structural and chemical changes in the nervous system [1]. This essentially means that while we sleep after studying for an exam, our brains are processing the information that we reviewed so that the information can be accessed in the morning. While some people may have an understanding what memory consolidation is, it is still important to understand the molecular pathway for the role in sleep as well as how important processing the information is before sending it off to storage (long-term memory).
It was established that the consolidation of hippocampus-dependent memory depends on the activation of the Erk1,2 MAP kinase (MAPK) pathway [2]. Activation of the MAPK pathway is done by having the NMDA receptors signal generate calcium ions to activate the cAMP, leading to the activation of MAPK [2]. From there, the MAPK pathway is able to stimulate protein synthesis and CREB/CRE-mediated transcription, two events required for memory consolidation and formation [2]. This is the pathway that happens each time we experience a new memory.
Another interesting concept on memory consolidation is the fact that it is also linked to the feeling of déjà vu. Déjà vu is the feeling somebody gets when they feel that they have experienced the present situation before in vivid detail and exactly what has happened. While this has been labeled as precognitions or prophecies, science has excluded these facts and states that the memory illusions experienced from a déjà vu episode are because of the frontal regions of the brain attempting to correct an inaccurate memory [3]. This would involve your brain trying to create a perception of as much of the world around you from the little amount of information it may be provided with.
Discrepancies in the memory system of the brain can also cause déjà vu by leading sensory information obtained from the outside world to by-pass short-term memory entirely and reach long-term memory instead [3]. This means that since your body doesn’t necessarily process the information, and since it is already stored in your memory, this leads you to have a feeling of experiencing a brand new moment already. This is something I found to be very interesting when learning about memory consolidation. While it is quite harmless, it has sometimes been linked to focal seizures after somebody experiences a strong, intense feeling of déjà vu [3]. This makes processing information first before storage an important factor to consider with all the other mechanisms happening in your head to avoid any serious damage. The research found on sleep and memory consolidation give detailed information on how important memory consolidation is when it comes to recalling information during an exam and processing information on a regular basis.
