Trial Outcomes & Findings for The Impact of Reactivation During Sleep on the Consolidation of Abstract Information in Humans (NCT NCT05746299)

Last Updated: 2025-07-14

Results Overview

Accuracy (0-100%) on the behavioral missing feature task in Stage 2, which requires participants to use their memory from earlier in the experiment to make a guess about how to fill in missing features of the category exemplars.

Recruitment status

COMPLETED

Study phase

Target enrollment

194 participants

Primary outcome timeframe

In Aim 1, accuracy is collected in a missing feature task 25 min. into the experiment, taking 25 min. In Aim 2, accuracy is collected in a missing feature task over 25 min in Stage 2

Results posted on

2025-07-14

Participant Flow

Participant milestones

Participant milestones
Measure	Aim 1 Immediate Incongruent Participants will learn and be tested on two different semantic categories with the same structure that dictates the co-occurrence of different features. Congruent vs. Incongruent: The Congruent vs. Incongruent intervention relates to the feature-based structure of the novel categories (Modular or non-Modular) and whether there is (Congruent) or is not (Incongruent) a match between what was previously learned and the final target category. Immediate vs. Awake vs. Asleep: Immediate, Awake, and Sleep refer to either no break, 2.5 hours awake, or 2 hours asleep plus a 30-minute post-nap break to account for sleep inertia between learning and target category.	Aim 1 Immediate Congruent Participants will learn and be tested on two different semantic categories with the same structure that dictates the co-occurrence of different features. Congruent vs. Incongruent: The Congruent vs. Incongruent intervention relates to the feature-based structure of the novel categories (Modular or non-Modular) and whether there is (Congruent) or is not (Incongruent) a match between what was previously learned and the final target category. Immediate vs. Awake vs. Asleep: Immediate, Awake, and Sleep refer to either no break, 2.5 hours awake, or 2 hours asleep plus a 30-minute post-nap break to account for sleep inertia between learning and target category.	Aim 2 Awake Incongruent Participants will learn two different semantic categories, neither of which has a Modular structure. After a 2.5-hour break, they will learn and be tested on a novel semantic category with a Modular structure. Congruent vs. Incongruent: The Congruent vs. Incongruent intervention relates to the feature-based structure of the novel categories (Modular or non-Modular) and whether there is (Congruent) or is not (Incongruent) a match between what was previously learned and the final target category. Immediate vs. Awake vs. Asleep: Immediate, Awake, and Sleep refer to either no break, 2.5 hours awake, or 2 hours asleep plus a 30-minute post-nap break to account for sleep inertia between learning and target category.	Aim 2 Awake Congruent Participants will learn two different semantic categories, neither of which has a Modular structure. After a 2.5-hour break, they will learn and be tested on a novel semantic category with a Modular structure. Congruent vs. Incongruent: The Congruent vs. Incongruent intervention relates to the feature-based structure of the novel categories (Modular or non-Modular) and whether there is (Congruent) or is not (Incongruent) a match between what was previously learned and the final target category. Immediate vs. Awake vs. Asleep: Immediate, Awake, and Sleep refer to either no break, 2.5 hours awake, or 2 hours asleep plus a 30-minute post-nap break to account for sleep inertia between learning and target category.	Aim 2 Sleep Incongruent Participants will learn two different semantic categories, one of which has a Modular structure. After a 2-hour nap opportunity, during which TMR will be used to reactivate the Modular category during rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, participants will take a 30-minute break. After the break, they will learn and be tested on a novel semantic category with a Modular structure. Congruent vs. Incongruent: The Congruent vs. Incongruent intervention relates to the feature-based structure of the novel categories (Modular or non-Modular) and whether there is (Congruent) or is not (Incongruent) a match between what was previously learned and the final target category. Immediate vs. Awake vs. Asleep: Immediate, Awake, and Sleep refer to either no break, 2.5 hours awake, or 2 hours asleep plus a 30-minute post-nap break to account for sleep inertia between learning and target category. Targeted memory reactivation (TMR): Targeted memory reactivation (TMR) is the systematic presentation of sounds during sleep that were associated with certain stimuli during learning and will be administered during slow wave sleep (SWS).	Aim 2 Sleep Congruent Participants will learn two different semantic categories, one of which has a Modular structure. After a 2-hour nap opportunity, during which TMR will be used to reactivate the Modular category during rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, participants will take a 30-minute break. After the break, they will learn and be tested on a novel semantic category with a Modular structure. Congruent vs. Incongruent: The Congruent vs. Incongruent intervention relates to the feature-based structure of the novel categories (Modular or non-Modular) and whether there is (Congruent) or is not (Incongruent) a match between what was previously learned and the final target category. Immediate vs. Awake vs. Asleep: Immediate, Awake, and Sleep refer to either no break, 2.5 hours awake, or 2 hours asleep plus a 30-minute post-nap break to account for sleep inertia between learning and target category. Targeted memory reactivation (TMR): Targeted memory reactivation (TMR) is the systematic presentation of sounds during sleep that were associated with certain stimuli during learning and will be administered during slow wave sleep (SWS).
Overall Study STARTED	47	47	26	25	22	27
Overall Study COMPLETED	47	47	26	25	22	27
Overall Study NOT COMPLETED	0	0	0	0	0	0

Reasons for withdrawal

Withdrawal data not reported

Baseline Characteristics

The Impact of Reactivation During Sleep on the Consolidation of Abstract Information in Humans

Baseline characteristics by cohort

Baseline characteristics by cohort
Measure	Immediate Incongruent n=47 Participants Participants will learn and be tested on two different semantic categories with different structures that dictate the co-occurrence of different features. Congruent vs. Incongruent: The Congruent vs. Incongruent intervention relates to the feature-based structure of the novel categories (Modular or non-Modular) and whether there is (Congruent) or is not (Incongruent) a match between what was previously learned and the final target category. Immediate vs. Awake vs. Asleep: Immediate, Awake, and Sleep refer to either no break, 2.5 hours awake, or 2 hours asleep plus a 30-minute post-nap break to account for sleep inertia between learning and target category.	Immediate Congruent n=47 Participants Participants will learn and be tested on two different semantic categories with the same structure that dictates the co-occurrence of different features. Congruent vs. Incongruent: The Congruent vs. Incongruent intervention relates to the feature-based structure of the novel categories (Modular or non-Modular) and whether there is (Congruent) or is not (Incongruent) a match between what was previously learned and the final target category. Immediate vs. Awake vs. Asleep: Immediate, Awake, and Sleep refer to either no break, 2.5 hours awake, or 2 hours asleep plus a 30-minute post-nap break to account for sleep inertia between learning and target category.	Awake Incongruent n=26 Participants Participants will learn two different semantic categories, neither of which has a Modular structure. After a 2.5-hour break, they will learn and be tested on a novel semantic category with a Modular structure. Congruent vs. Incongruent: The Congruent vs. Incongruent intervention relates to the feature-based structure of the novel categories (Modular or non-Modular) and whether there is (Congruent) or is not (Incongruent) a match between what was previously learned and the final target category. Immediate vs. Awake vs. Asleep: Immediate, Awake, and Sleep refer to either no break, 2.5 hours awake, or 2 hours asleep plus a 30-minute post-nap break to account for sleep inertia between learning and target category.	Awake Congruent n=25 Participants Participants will learn two different semantic categories, one of which has a Modular structure. After a 2.5-hour break, they will learn and be tested on a novel semantic category with a Modular structure. Congruent vs. Incongruent: The Congruent vs. Incongruent intervention relates to the feature-based structure of the novel categories (Modular or non-Modular) and whether there is (Congruent) or is not (Incongruent) a match between what was previously learned and the final target category. Immediate vs. Awake vs. Asleep: Immediate, Awake, and Sleep refer to either no break, 2.5 hours awake, or 2 hours asleep plus a 30-minute post-nap break to account for sleep inertia between learning and target category.	Sleep Incongruent n=22 Participants Participants will learn two different semantic categories, one of which has a Modular structure. After a 2-hour nap opportunity, during which TMR will be used to reactivate the non-Modular category, participants will take a 30-minute break. After the break, they will learn and be tested on a novel semantic category with a Modular structure. Congruent vs. Incongruent: The Congruent vs. Incongruent intervention relates to the feature-based structure of the novel categories (Modular or non-Modular) and whether there is (Congruent) or is not (Incongruent) a match between what was previously learned and the final target category. Immediate vs. Awake vs. Asleep: Immediate, Awake, and Sleep refer to either no break, 2.5 hours awake, or 2 hours asleep plus a 30-minute post-nap break to account for sleep inertia between learning and target category. Targeted memory reactivation (TMR): Targeted memory reactivation (TMR) is the systematic presentation of sounds during sleep that were associated with certain stimuli during learning and will be administered either during slow wave sleep (SWS) or rapid eye movement (REM) sleep.	Sleep Congruent (SWS) n=27 Participants Participants will learn two different semantic categories, one of which has a Modular structure. After a 2-hour nap opportunity, during which TMR will be used to reactivate the Modular category during slow wave sleep (SWS), participants will take a 30-minute break. After the break, they will learn and be tested on a novel semantic category with a Modular structure. Congruent vs. Incongruent: The Congruent vs. Incongruent intervention relates to the feature-based structure of the novel categories (Modular or non-Modular) and whether there is (Congruent) or is not (Incongruent) a match between what was previously learned and the final target category. Immediate vs. Awake vs. Asleep: Immediate, Awake, and Sleep refer to either no break, 2.5 hours awake, or 2 hours asleep plus a 30-minute post-nap break to account for sleep inertia between learning and target category. Targeted memory reactivation (TMR): Targeted memory reactivation (TMR) is the systematic presentation of sounds during sleep that were associated with certain stimuli during learning and will be administered either during slow wave sleep (SWS) or rapid eye movement (REM) sleep.	Sleep Congruent (REM) Participants will learn two different semantic categories, one of which has a Modular structure. After a 2-hour nap opportunity, during which TMR will be used to reactivate the Modular category during rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, participants will take a 30-minute break. After the break, they will learn and be tested on a novel semantic category with a Modular structure. Congruent vs. Incongruent: The Congruent vs. Incongruent intervention relates to the feature-based structure of the novel categories (Modular or non-Modular) and whether there is (Congruent) or is not (Incongruent) a match between what was previously learned and the final target category. Immediate vs. Awake vs. Asleep: Immediate, Awake, and Sleep refer to either no break, 2.5 hours awake, or 2 hours asleep plus a 30-minute post-nap break to account for sleep inertia between learning and target category. Targeted memory reactivation (TMR): Targeted memory reactivation (TMR) is the systematic presentation of sounds during sleep that were associated with certain stimuli during learning and will be administered either during slow wave sleep (SWS) or rapid eye movement (REM) sleep.	Total n=194 Participants Total of all reporting groups
Age, Categorical <=18 years	0 Participants n=5 Participants	0 Participants n=7 Participants	0 Participants n=5 Participants	0 Participants n=4 Participants	0 Participants n=21 Participants	0 Participants n=8 Participants	—	0 Participants n=24 Participants
Age, Categorical Between 18 and 65 years	47 Participants n=5 Participants	47 Participants n=7 Participants	26 Participants n=5 Participants	25 Participants n=4 Participants	22 Participants n=21 Participants	27 Participants n=8 Participants	—	194 Participants n=24 Participants
Age, Categorical >=65 years	0 Participants n=5 Participants	0 Participants n=7 Participants	0 Participants n=5 Participants	0 Participants n=4 Participants	0 Participants n=21 Participants	0 Participants n=8 Participants	—	0 Participants n=24 Participants
Age, Continuous	25.0213 years STANDARD_DEVIATION 1.9052 • n=5 Participants	25.6809 years STANDARD_DEVIATION 1.7706 • n=7 Participants	21.19 years STANDARD_DEVIATION 3.9 • n=5 Participants	23.08 years STANDARD_DEVIATION 4.75 • n=4 Participants	20.95 years STANDARD_DEVIATION 3.58 • n=21 Participants	22.96 years STANDARD_DEVIATION 4.42 • n=8 Participants	—	23.67 years STANDARD_DEVIATION 3.69 • n=24 Participants
Sex: Female, Male Female	30 Participants n=5 Participants	29 Participants n=7 Participants	13 Participants n=5 Participants	15 Participants n=4 Participants	16 Participants n=21 Participants	16 Participants n=8 Participants	—	119 Participants n=24 Participants
Sex: Female, Male Male	17 Participants n=5 Participants	18 Participants n=7 Participants	13 Participants n=5 Participants	10 Participants n=4 Participants	6 Participants n=21 Participants	11 Participants n=8 Participants	—	75 Participants n=24 Participants
Ethnicity (NIH/OMB) Hispanic or Latino	5 Participants n=5 Participants	6 Participants n=7 Participants	0 Participants n=5 Participants	6 Participants n=4 Participants	0 Participants n=21 Participants	2 Participants n=8 Participants	—	19 Participants n=24 Participants
Ethnicity (NIH/OMB) Not Hispanic or Latino	42 Participants n=5 Participants	41 Participants n=7 Participants	24 Participants n=5 Participants	18 Participants n=4 Participants	22 Participants n=21 Participants	25 Participants n=8 Participants	—	172 Participants n=24 Participants
Ethnicity (NIH/OMB) Unknown or Not Reported	0 Participants n=5 Participants	0 Participants n=7 Participants	2 Participants n=5 Participants	1 Participants n=4 Participants	0 Participants n=21 Participants	0 Participants n=8 Participants	—	3 Participants n=24 Participants
Race (NIH/OMB) American Indian or Alaska Native	1 Participants n=5 Participants	0 Participants n=7 Participants	0 Participants n=5 Participants	2 Participants n=4 Participants	0 Participants n=21 Participants	1 Participants n=8 Participants	—	4 Participants n=24 Participants
Race (NIH/OMB) Asian	4 Participants n=5 Participants	3 Participants n=7 Participants	13 Participants n=5 Participants	9 Participants n=4 Participants	13 Participants n=21 Participants	16 Participants n=8 Participants	—	58 Participants n=24 Participants
Race (NIH/OMB) Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander	0 Participants n=5 Participants	0 Participants n=7 Participants	0 Participants n=5 Participants	0 Participants n=4 Participants	0 Participants n=21 Participants	0 Participants n=8 Participants	—	0 Participants n=24 Participants
Race (NIH/OMB) Black or African American	0 Participants n=5 Participants	2 Participants n=7 Participants	2 Participants n=5 Participants	2 Participants n=4 Participants	3 Participants n=21 Participants	0 Participants n=8 Participants	—	9 Participants n=24 Participants
Race (NIH/OMB) White	42 Participants n=5 Participants	41 Participants n=7 Participants	8 Participants n=5 Participants	9 Participants n=4 Participants	4 Participants n=21 Participants	9 Participants n=8 Participants	—	113 Participants n=24 Participants
Race (NIH/OMB) More than one race	0 Participants n=5 Participants	1 Participants n=7 Participants	1 Participants n=5 Participants	1 Participants n=4 Participants	1 Participants n=21 Participants	1 Participants n=8 Participants	—	5 Participants n=24 Participants
Race (NIH/OMB) Unknown or Not Reported	0 Participants n=5 Participants	0 Participants n=7 Participants	2 Participants n=5 Participants	2 Participants n=4 Participants	1 Participants n=21 Participants	0 Participants n=8 Participants	—	5 Participants n=24 Participants
Region of Enrollment United States	47 participants n=5 Participants	47 participants n=7 Participants	26 participants n=5 Participants	25 participants n=4 Participants	22 participants n=21 Participants	27 participants n=8 Participants	—	194 participants n=24 Participants

PRIMARY outcome

Timeframe: In Aim 1, accuracy is collected in a missing feature task 25 min. into the experiment, taking 25 min. In Aim 2, accuracy is collected in a missing feature task over 25 min in Stage 2

Outcome measures

Outcome measures
Measure	Aim 1 Immediate Incongruent n=47 Participants Participants will learn and be tested on two different semantic categories with the same structure that dictates the co-occurrence of different features. Congruent vs. Incongruent: The Congruent vs. Incongruent intervention relates to the feature-based structure of the novel categories (Modular or non-Modular) and whether there is (Congruent) or is not (Incongruent) a match between what was previously learned and the final target category. Immediate vs. Awake vs. Asleep: Immediate, Awake, and Sleep refer to either no break, 2.5 hours awake, or 2 hours asleep plus a 30-minute post-nap break to account for sleep inertia between learning and target category.	Aim 1 Immediate Congruent n=47 Participants Participants will learn and be tested on two different semantic categories with the same structure that dictates the co-occurrence of different features. Congruent vs. Incongruent: The Congruent vs. Incongruent intervention relates to the feature-based structure of the novel categories (Modular or non-Modular) and whether there is (Congruent) or is not (Incongruent) a match between what was previously learned and the final target category. Immediate vs. Awake vs. Asleep: Immediate, Awake, and Sleep refer to either no break, 2.5 hours awake, or 2 hours asleep plus a 30-minute post-nap break to account for sleep inertia between learning and target category.	Aim 2 Awake Incongruent n=26 Participants Participants will learn two different semantic categories, neither of which has a Modular structure. After a 2.5-hour break, they will learn and be tested on a novel semantic category with a Modular structure. Congruent vs. Incongruent: The Congruent vs. Incongruent intervention relates to the feature-based structure of the novel categories (Modular or non-Modular) and whether there is (Congruent) or is not (Incongruent) a match between what was previously learned and the final target category. Immediate vs. Awake vs. Asleep: Immediate, Awake, and Sleep refer to either no break, 2.5 hours awake, or 2 hours asleep plus a 30-minute post-nap break to account for sleep inertia between learning and target category.	Aim 2 Awake Congruent n=25 Participants Participants will learn two different semantic categories, neither of which has a Modular structure. After a 2.5-hour break, they will learn and be tested on a novel semantic category with a Modular structure. Congruent vs. Incongruent: The Congruent vs. Incongruent intervention relates to the feature-based structure of the novel categories (Modular or non-Modular) and whether there is (Congruent) or is not (Incongruent) a match between what was previously learned and the final target category. Immediate vs. Awake vs. Asleep: Immediate, Awake, and Sleep refer to either no break, 2.5 hours awake, or 2 hours asleep plus a 30-minute post-nap break to account for sleep inertia between learning and target category.	Aim 2 Sleep Incongruent n=22 Participants Participants will learn two different semantic categories, one of which has a Modular structure. After a 2-hour nap opportunity, during which TMR will be used to reactivate the non-Modular category, participants will take a 30-minute break. After the break, they will learn and be tested on a novel semantic category with a Modular structure. Congruent vs. Incongruent: The Congruent vs. Incongruent intervention relates to the feature-based structure of the novel categories (Modular or non-Modular) and whether there is (Congruent) or is not (Incongruent) a match between what was previously learned and the final target category. Immediate vs. Awake vs. Asleep: Immediate, Awake, and Sleep refer to either no break, 2.5 hours awake, or 2 hours asleep plus a 30-minute post-nap break to account for sleep inertia between learning and target category. Targeted memory reactivation (TMR): Targeted memory reactivation (TMR) is the systematic presentation of sounds during sleep that were associated with certain stimuli during learning and will be administered during slow wave sleep (SWS).	Aim 2 Sleep Congruent n=27 Participants Participants will learn two different semantic categories, one of which has a Modular structure. After a 2-hour nap opportunity, during which TMR will be used to reactivate the non-Modular category, participants will take a 30-minute break. After the break, they will learn and be tested on a novel semantic category with a Modular structure. Congruent vs. Incongruent: The Congruent vs. Incongruent intervention relates to the feature-based structure of the novel categories (Modular or non-Modular) and whether there is (Congruent) or is not (Incongruent) a match between what was previously learned and the final target category. Immediate vs. Awake vs. Asleep: Immediate, Awake, and Sleep refer to either no break, 2.5 hours awake, or 2 hours asleep plus a 30-minute post-nap break to account for sleep inertia between learning and target category. Targeted memory reactivation (TMR): Targeted memory reactivation (TMR) is the systematic presentation of sounds during sleep that were associated with certain stimuli during learning and will be administered during slow wave sleep (SWS).
Structure Knowledge for a New Modular Category in Stage 2	0.563 Proportion of correct responses Standard Deviation .0983	.5726 Proportion of correct responses Standard Deviation .0857	.6303 Proportion of correct responses Standard Deviation .0942	.6266 Proportion of correct responses Standard Deviation .1043	.6287 Proportion of correct responses Standard Deviation .1147	0.6231 Proportion of correct responses Standard Deviation 0.0998

Deaths: 0 deaths

Serious adverse events

Adverse event data not reported

Other adverse events

Adverse event data not reported

Additional Information

Anna Schapiro

University of Pennsylvania

Phone: 215-898-0482

Email: [email protected]

Results disclosure agreements

Principal investigator is a sponsor employee
Publication restrictions are in place