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Frontal metabolic activity contributes to individual differences in vulnerability toward total sleep deprivation‐induced changes in cognitive function
Author(s) -
Xu Junling,
Zhu Yuanqiang,
Fu Chang,
Sun Jinbo,
Li Huiqiang,
Yang Xuejuan,
Li Weiling,
Qin Wei,
Shi Dapeng,
Tian Jie
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
journal of sleep research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.297
H-Index - 117
eISSN - 1365-2869
pISSN - 0962-1105
DOI - 10.1111/jsr.12354
Subject(s) - sleep deprivation , effects of sleep deprivation on cognitive performance , cognition , wakefulness , psychology , positron emission tomography , neuroscience , neuroimaging , sleep (system call) , superior frontal gyrus , audiology , medicine , electroencephalography , operating system , computer science
Summary Substantial individual differences characterize the changes induced by total sleep deprivation on cognitive functions. Despite some progress having been achieved, the mechanisms of individual differences in response to total sleep deprivation have not been clearly elucidated. Cerebral metabolism in the resting state is among the key physiological processes supporting the daily function of the brain, and may play an important role in these individual differences. Twenty‐two right‐handed participants (nine females and 13 males) between 20 and 26 years old completed a mathematical processing task both in resting wakefulness and after 24 h of total sleep deprivation. Fluorine‐18 fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography‐computed tomography was used to investigate brain metabolism changes. The mathematical task was performed after the positron emission tomography scans were completed. Correlation analysis was used to investigate the correlations between cognitive performance changes and brain metabolism changes. Large inter‐individual differences were found in the throughput changes, but these inter‐individual differences were not associated with baseline or post‐deprivation performance levels. Specifically, deterioration of throughput on the mathematical processing task was significantly correlated with metabolism changes in the superior frontal medial gyrus. These findings suggested that frontal metabolic activity contributes to individual differences in waking‐induced impairment of cognitive performance.