College of Behavioral & Social Sciences

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    Is nap status related to memory, sleep physiology, and the hippocampus in early childhood?
    (2020) Allard, Tamara L; Riggins, Tracy; Psychology; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)
    Research suggests there may be links between developmental changes in sleep (e.g., transition out of a nap), memory, and brain (specifically, hippocampus). The purpose of this investigation was to explore differences in sleep physiology, visuospatial memory, and hippocampal volume based on nap status. Participants were 3 to 5-year-old children (n=51) who were habitual nappers (napping >5 days/week), semi-habitual nappers (3–4 days/week), or non-nappers (<2 days/week). Participants completed a memory task before and after a wake and nap session. Polysomnography (PSG) and hippocampal volumes were also assessed. Findings demonstrated that, regardless of nap status, children performed better on a memory task following a nap. PSG revealed that habitual nappers spent marginally more time in nREM2 sleep and less time in SWS compared to semi-habitual nappers. Finally, non-nappers demonstrated a larger hippocampus than the other groups. These findings support the suggestion that developmental differences in these domains are related during childhood.
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    Exploring Differences in Hippocampal Structure between Habitual vs Non-habitual Nappers during Early Childhood
    (2020) Meredith, Lena; Riggins, Tracy
    When we sleep, our memories are consolidated and become less vulnerable to interference, both during overnight sleep and during naps. Previous research in adults suggests this effect is at least partially due to a “transfer” of these memories from the hippocampus to the cortex. Although a similar process likely takes place in young children, there is little research investigating it. The existing literature suggests habitually napping children may need naps more than non-habitually napping children because their brain is less mature. This study aims to examine relations between habitual versus non-habitual nappers and brain development in early childhood. The focus was on the hippocampus, a structure that is critical for memory and shows protected development during early childhood. At the time of this report, 21 children provided useable data (Mage = 4.49 years, SD = 0.51, 9 female). Of these participants, 8 were habitual nappers and 13 were non-habitual nappers. Hippocampal volumes were extracted using a combination of manual and automated methods. Results revealed in the left hippocampal tail, habitual nappers had larger volumes compared to non-habitual nappers. Although these are preliminary results and do not survive correction for multiple comparisons, the findings support that variation in hippocampal development may relate to nap status in developing children. Future research will examine a larger sample size and investigate other brain regions to determine the specificity of these effects.