Abstract Introduction Though sleep is crucial for motor memory consolidation, the brain mechanisms underlying its role in real-world, whole-body movement, such as dance, remain poorly understood. Here, we examine how daytime naps and specific features of sleep, such as twitches during REM sleep, impact improvement across a three-day dance-learning protocol. Methods Nineteen adults (12 females, 7 males) completed three days of dance classes, learning a standardized choreography. Each participant took one baseline nap before any training and one experimental nap that occurred on either Day 1, Day 2, or Day 3, followed by a post-nap dance test to assess nap-dependent improvement. We developed a method to systematically evaluate dance performances from video, based on four error types: detail (incorrect movement execution), order (sequence mistakes), omission (missing moves), and addition (extra unintended movements). For each nap, we calculated the rate of twitching (twitches/min) and the proportion of twitching for each body part. We used repeated-measures ANOVA, linear mixed-effects models, and Tukey-adjusted comparisons to evaluate learning, nap timing, and twitch characteristics. Results In preliminary analyses, we observed robust learning across days, with a significant linear reduction in error scores across the three classes. Given the strong linear effect of learning across classes, we examined the nap effect while controlling for this linear learning effect. Nap day significantly predicted post-nap performance change, with naps on Day 1 showing significant improvement, and naps on Days 2 and 3 having minimal effects. We compared twitching between the baseline nap (pre-dance class) and the experimental naps for each body part. Twitching differed by region, with hand twitches decreasing and foot twitches increasing from baseline to experimental naps. Conclusion Though data collection is ongoing, these early findings indicate that earlier naps yield larger performance benefits during whole-body motor learning, and the body regions most engaged during dancing (feet) showed more twitching after learning. Our findings suggest a systematic approach to studying whole-body motor learning and sleep. Support (if any)
Uzoigwe et al. (Fri,) studied this question.