Cheng Jin-Xiang, Zhao Xianchao, Qiu Jian, Jiang Yingcong, Ren Jiafeng, Sun Shuyu, Wang Rong, Su Changjun
Department of Neurology, Tangdu Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, 710038, Shaanxi Province, China.
Department of Neurology, Tangdu Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, 710038, Shaanxi Province, China.
Sleep Med. 2021 Mar;79:124-133. doi: 10.1016/j.sleep.2021.01.014. Epub 2021 Jan 13.
Previous studies claimed that transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) over the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) improves cognition in neuropsychiatric patients with cognitive impairment, schizophrenia, organic hypersomnia, etc, but few studies evaluated the effects of tDCS on cognitive improvement following sleep deprivation. The objective of this study was to determine whether tDCS (anode on the left DLPFC and cathode on the right DLPFC with a 2-mA current for 30 min) improves cognition following sleep deprivation.
Seven participants received active tDCS and eight participants received sham tDCS when their cognition declined during at least 30 h of sleep deprivation. All participants completed the psychomotor vigilance task, Trail Making Tests A and B, digit cancellation test, Stroop color word test, the Brief Visuospatial Memory Test-Revised and a procedural game every 2 h during the sleep deprivation and after recovery sleep.
Compared to the sham stimulation, active tDCS (anode on the left DLPFC and cathode on the right DLPFC at a 2-mA current for 30 min) had beneficial effects on attention, memory, executive function, processing speed, and the ability to inhibit cognitive interference, and improved in subjective drowsiness and fatigue following sleep deprivation. The lasting effect of a single tDCS on cognition during sleep deprivation was greater than 2 h. In all participants, tDCS did not disturb recovery sleep, and cognitive performance recovered to the baseline levels after recovery sleep.
The study results indicate that tDCS can improve cognition following sleep deprivation and does not disturb recovery sleep or cognitive performance after recovery sleep. The possible pathophysiological mechanisms might be related to the modulation of the corticothalamic pathway. We believe that tDCS can be applied in the treatment of sleep disorders involving sleepiness.
ChiCTR2000029420.
2020-1-31.
以往研究表明，经颅直流电刺激（tDCS）作用于左侧背外侧前额叶皮质（DLPFC）可改善患有认知障碍、精神分裂症、器质性失眠等神经精神疾病患者的认知功能，但很少有研究评估tDCS对睡眠剥夺后认知改善的影响。本研究的目的是确定tDCS（阳极置于左侧DLPFC，阴极置于右侧DLPFC，电流为2 mA，持续30分钟）是否能改善睡眠剥夺后的认知功能。
7名参与者在至少30小时睡眠剥夺期间认知功能下降时接受了主动tDCS，8名参与者接受了假tDCS。所有参与者在睡眠剥夺期间及恢复睡眠后，每2小时完成一次心理运动警觉任务、连线测验A和B、数字划消测验、斯特鲁普颜色词测验、修订版简短视觉空间记忆测验以及一个程序性游戏。
与假刺激相比，主动tDCS（阳极置于左侧DLPFC，阴极置于右侧DLPFC，电流为2 mA，持续30分钟）对注意力、记忆力、执行功能、处理速度以及抑制认知干扰的能力具有有益影响，并改善了睡眠剥夺后的主观嗜睡和疲劳感。单次tDCS对睡眠剥夺期间认知功能的持续影响大于2小时。在所有参与者中，tDCS未干扰恢复睡眠，恢复睡眠后认知表现恢复至基线水平。
研究结果表明，tDCS可改善睡眠剥夺后的认知功能，且不会干扰恢复睡眠或恢复睡眠后的认知表现。可能的病理生理机制可能与皮质丘脑通路的调节有关。我们认为tDCS可应用于治疗伴有嗜睡的睡眠障碍。
ChiCTR2000029420。
2020年1月31日。
