Resistance to interference and the emergence of delayed gains in newly acquired procedural memories: Synaptic and system consolidation?

The progressive multistage stabilization of memory (consolidation) relies on post-acquisition neural reorganization. We hypothesize that two processes subserve procedural memory consolidation and are reflected in delayed post-acquisition performance gains: (1) synaptic consolidation, which is classical Hebbian, and (2) in some tasks, concurrently or consequently, "system consolidation," which might in some skills be sleep-dependent. Behavioral interference may affect either type of consolidation.