Key Laboratory of Behavioral Science, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China.
Department of Psychology, Beijing Sport University, Beijing, 100084, China.
Behav Brain Res. 2021 Jul 9;409:113263. doi: 10.1016/j.bbr.2021.113263. Epub 2021 Mar 26.
Total sleep deprivation (TSD) causes a decline in almost all cognitive domains, especially working memory. However, we do not have a clear understanding of the degree working memory is impaired under prolonged TSD, nor do we know the underlying neurophysiological mechanism. In this study, we recorded EEG data from 64 subjects while they performed a working memory task during resting wakefulness, after 24 h TSD, and after 30 h TSD. ANOVA was used to verify performance differences between 24 h and 30 h TSD in working memory tasks: (1) reaction time and accuracy hit rates, (2) P200, N200, and P300 amplitude and latency in measurements of event-related potential, as well as (3) effective connectivity strength between brain areas associated with working memory. Compared to 24 h TSD, 30 h TSD significantly decreased accuracy hit rates and induced a larger N200 difference waveform. The effective connectivity analysis showed that 30 h TSD also decreased beta frequency in effective connection strength from the right insular lobe to the left anterior cingulate cortex (ACC). Effective connection from the left ventrolateral prefrontal cortex to the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex increased in the match condition of the 2-back task. In conclusion, 30 h TSD had a greater negative impact on working memory than 24 h TSD. This impairment of working memory is associated with decreased strength in the effective connection from the right insula to the left ACC.
完全睡眠剥夺（TSD）会导致几乎所有认知领域的下降，尤其是工作记忆。然而，我们并不清楚在长时间 TSD 下工作记忆受损的程度，也不知道其潜在的神经生理机制。在这项研究中，我们记录了 64 名被试在静息清醒时、24 小时 TSD 后和 30 小时 TSD 后执行工作记忆任务时的 EEG 数据。方差分析用于验证工作记忆任务中 24 小时和 30 小时 TSD 之间的表现差异：（1）反应时间和准确率，（2）事件相关电位测量中的 P200、N200 和 P300 振幅和潜伏期，以及（3）与工作记忆相关的大脑区域之间的有效连接强度。与 24 小时 TSD 相比，30 小时 TSD 显著降低了准确率，并且引起了更大的 N200 差异波形。有效连接分析表明，30 小时 TSD 还降低了右侧脑岛到左侧前扣带皮层（ACC）的有效连接中β频带的强度。在 2 回任务的匹配条件下，左腹外侧前额叶皮层到左背外侧前额叶皮层的有效连接增加。总之，30 小时 TSD 对工作记忆的负面影响大于 24 小时 TSD。这种工作记忆的损害与右侧脑岛到左侧 ACC 的有效连接强度降低有关。
