Does paradoxical sleep deprivation disturb memory trace consolidation?

The effect of water tank PSD on memory in the passive avoidance test as well as on open field behavior was studied in rats. The effect of combining water tank PSD with a period of normal sleep-wakefulness cycle or with PSD by non-emotional awakening was investigated in a special series of experiments. It is concluded that PSD, even by the water tank procedure, does not disturb trace consolidation and formation of long-term memory in the passive avoidance test. However, a change in the correlation of motor-exploratory activity and fear reaction, due to the stressful situation intrinsic in the water tank PSD procedure, does not allow the animals to reach comparatively long temporal criteria in the passive avoidance test.