Why test cramming at night doesn't work well

[cmotherofpirl]

Biological clock may shut down long-term memory at night
21 Feb 2005

If you crammed for tests by pulling 'all nighters' in school, ever wonder why your memory is now a bit foggy on what you learned? A University of Houston professor may have the answer with his research on the role of circadian rhythms in long-term learning and memory.

Arnold Eskin, the John and Rebecca Moores Professor of Biology and Biochemistry at UH, was recently awarded two grants totaling $2,472,528 from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to continue pursuing his investigations of memory formation and the impact of the biological clock on learning and memory.

Scientists have known for a while that the brain's biological (or circadian) clock influences natural body cycles, such as sleep and wakefulness, metabolic rate and body temperature. New research from Eskin suggests the circadian clock also may regulate the formation of memory at night. This new research focuses on "Circadian Modulation of Long-term Memory Formation" and "Long-term Regulation of Glutamate Uptake in Aplysia," with NIH funding to be disbursed over four years.

"There is a lot of research going on in memory," Eskin said. "How do we remember things given that we don't have a camera in our brain to record events? What changes take place in our brains that allow us to remember? These grants are about fundamental learning and memory and about modulation of memory."

For the grant on circadian modulation of long-term memory formation, Eskin will continue studies based on his data that reveal the circadian clock modulates several forms of long-term memory in the marine snail Aplysia.

These studies involved experiments on the defensive reflexes and feeding responses of Aplysia. Eskin's results showed that Aplysia form long-term memory when they are trained during the day but not when they are trained at night. However, short-term memory of the same behaviors is formed equally well during the day and night, which might explain why all-night cram sessions may have helped you get through certain classes in school, but did not leave you with enough of a lasting impression to become part of your long-term store of knowledge.

"Somewhere in the molecular circuit, in the neural circuit in the brain, the biological clock is shutting that circuit off at a particular time of night. It's shutting molecules down so that long-term memory can't happen," Eskin said.

Lisa Lyons, a research assistant professor at UH, is the primary investigator on this grant and is already investigating molecules involved in memory formation that might be activated during the day but not at night. NIH funding will help advance the pursuit of this line of research.

For the grant on long-term regulation of glutamate uptake in Aplysia, Eskin will focus on the transmitter substance glutamate, which is involved in memory formation.

"The formation of memory happens at places in the brain called synapses, where cells 'talk' to one another through the release of chemicals called transmitter substances," Eskin said. "In order for transmitters to work, once they are released they have got to be cleared away so that others can subsequently act. So, there are not only important mechanisms to release the transmitters, but also mechanisms to get rid of them, and these are called reuptake systems."

Eskin is studying glutamate reuptake and glutamate transport to understand the mechanism or change that takes place at the synapses of nerve cells (or neurons) that enables people to remember. In previous research, Eskin found that glutamate transport molecules, which act as the brain's cleaning crew during learning and memory formation, actually increase once the long-term memory-forming process begins. Deficiencies in these glutamate transporters that affect the strength of connections among the neurons associated with memory may explain why memory lapses such as forgetting where you last set down your keys occur.

[Brother Adam]

I crammed last night and got an 89%

[rachael]

[journeyman]

[quote name='Brother Adam' date='Feb 21 2005, 03:43 PM'] I crammed last night and got an 89% [/quote]
That's short term memory . . . will you even remember where you were last night in 20 years?

[VeraMaria]

*is cramming for a chem test right now*

:ph34r:

[Tony]

sleep is good

[theculturewarrior]

What if you just naturally sleep during the day? I work at night and do homework all night. I hope it sticks.

Either that, or I hope the reference questions are easy in St. Croix.

[littleflower+JMJ]

oh no this is very bad news for me

[HomeTeamFamily]

i have the perfect solution......dont study!

[littleflower+JMJ]

[quote name='VoloHumilisEsse' date='Feb 22 2005, 02:52 AM'] i have the perfect solution......dont study! [/quote]
lol oh man i can never refuse good advice!! :shame:

[corban711]

whenever i feel like studying i lie down until the feeling goes away.

[shelly_freak]

I am a living example of what ^ does to you (I mean the not studying, not corban, he's cool)

[corban711]

[quote name='shelly_freak' date='Feb 22 2005, 12:17 PM'] I am a living example of what ^ does to you (I mean the not studying, not corban, he's cool) [/quote]
thanks shelly...i saw that on a poster in my friends room. i thought it was pretty funny...sadly, i followed that same line of thought through some of my high school years. but Our Lord is helping me to study well again!

[kaidoh]

i crammed for the TAKS test. and its a test to test your on skill

[jiyoung]

nothing wrong with cramming. i crammed for 5 hours for a chem test and got an a.

[Carnanc]

I don't like the word cram, learning how to study well the night before a big test a great help for when that is your only option.

[bookin'it]

[quote name='VoloHumilisEsse' date='Feb 22 2005, 01:52 AM'] i have the perfect solution......dont study! [/quote]
A Deep Thought:

Instead of studying for finals, what about just going to the Bahamas and catching some rays? Maybe you'll flunk, but you might have flunked anyway; that's my point.

--Jack Handey

[the_rev]

[quote name='VoloHumilisEsse' date='Feb 22 2005, 03:52 AM'] i have the perfect solution......dont study! [/quote]
Something I hvae always practiced!

I never study, but yet I'm in the top Five percent of my class!