Premium
Effect of sleep deprivation on the electrophysiological signature of habituation to noxious laser stimuli
Author(s) -
SchuhHofer S.,
Baumgärtner U.,
Treede R.D.
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
european journal of pain
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.305
H-Index - 109
eISSN - 1532-2149
pISSN - 1090-3801
DOI - 10.1002/ejp.698
Subject(s) - habituation , stimulus (psychology) , audiology , sleep deprivation , electrophysiology , distraction , psychology , anesthesia , nociception , medicine , neuroscience , circadian rhythm , receptor , psychotherapist
Background Sleep deprivation induces hyperalgesia. However, this pronociceptive effect is not reflected at the electrophysiological level, since sleep restricted subjects show amplitude reduction of Laser‐evoked Potentials ( LEP ). We aimed to explore the contribution of habituation to this paradoxical LEP amplitude decline. Methods We compared LEP 's of 12 healthy students (23.2 ± 1.1 years) after habitual sleep ( HS ) and a night of total sleep deprivation ( TSD ). Twelve repetitive laser stimulus blocks (each comprising twenty stimuli) were applied under three attention conditions (‘focusing’ – ‘neutral’ – ‘distraction’ condition). Stimulus blocks were split in part 1 (stimulus 1–10) and part 2 (stimulus 11–20). The contribution of habituation to the TSD ‐induced LEP amplitude decline was studied by calculating the percentage amplitude reduction of part 2 as compared to part 1. Individual sleepiness levels were correlated with (1) averaged LEP 's and (2) the degree of habituation. Results TSD induced hyperalgesia to laser stimuli ( p < 0.001). In contrast, depending on the attention condition, the P2 amplitude of the N2P2‐complex was significantly reduced (‘focusing’: p = 0.004; ‘neutral’: p = 0.017; distraction: p = 0.71). Habituation of the P2 amplitude to radiant heat was increased after TSD (‘focusing’: p = 0.04; ‘neutral’: p < 0.001; distraction: p = 0.88). TSD had no significant effect on N1 amplitudes ( p > 0.05). Individual sleepiness correlated negatively with averaged P2 amplitudes ( p = 0.02), but not with the degree of habituation ( p = 0.14). Conclusion TSD induces hyperalgesia and results in attention‐dependent enhanced habituation of the P2 component. Increased habituation may – to a substantial degree – explain the TSD ‐induced LEP ‐amplitude decline. For this article, a commentary is available at the Wiley Online Library.