The Effects of Total Sleep Deprivation and Recovery Sleep on Cognitive Performance and Brain Function
Abstract
An ever-increasing number of military personnel and civilians alike must work daily without adequate sleep. Although considerable data show that sleep deprivation alters many aspects of behavior, little is known about changes in the brain substrate underlying the behavioral effects. Even less is known about the cerebral effects of recovery sleep. The overarching objective of this study is to investigate the effects of 2 full nights of sleep loss and 2 full nights of recovery sleep on cognitive performance and brain function. We will study 40 individuals for 6 nights and 6 days. Subjects will receive 4 polysomnograms and 10 functional magnetic resonance imaging (FMRI) sessions. During the FMRI sessions, functional brain imaging data will be collected while subjects perform each of 3 cognitive tasks: sustained attention, arithmetic working memory, and verbal learning. Thus far, 17 subjects have completed the protocol. While these data are preliminary, there are indications that this study will help identify the rate at which performance on different cognitive tasks deteriorates with sleep loss and recovers with subsequent sleep. Furthermore, we may be able to advance our understanding of the brain function correlates of individual differences in vulnerability and resilience to sleep deprivation.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Aug 01, 2004
- Accession Number
- ADA435504
Entities
People
- Sean P. Drummond