Does the hippocampus exhibit offline reactivation of neural activity following motor sequence learning?

Abstract

Memory consolidation in the declarative memory domain is known to be supported by the replay or reactivation of learning-related hippocampal activity during subsequent offline epochs (i.e., during post-encoding rest). Examinations into an analogous hippocampal reactivation process following motor learning have, until recently, been non-existent. This gap in the literature has been fueled by the traditional – yet outdated - view that the hippocampus is not involved in motor learning. Here, we discuss recent research in the motor memory domain that provides evidence in support of hippocampal reactivation following motor sequence learning. We conclude by highlighting several areas that warrant examination in future research, including experimentally manipulating post-learning hippocampal reactivation in an effort to enhance the motor memory consolidation process.