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. 2023 Apr 18:17:1056788.
doi: 10.3389/fnins.2023.1056788. eCollection 2023.

Recovery sleep attenuates impairments in working memory following total sleep deprivation

Ziyi Peng  1 , Yanhong Hou  2 , Lin Xu  1 , Haiteng Wang  3   4 , Shuqing Wu  5 , Tao Song  1 , Yongcong Shao  1 , Yan Yang  6
Affiliations

Recovery sleep attenuates impairments in working memory following total sleep deprivation

Ziyi Peng et al. Front Neurosci. .

Abstract

Introduction: The detrimental effects of sleep deprivation (SD) on cognitive function and quality of life are well known, and sleep disturbances are a major physical and mental health issue worldwide. Working memory plays an important role in many complex cognitive processes. Therefore, it is necessary to identify strategies that can effectively counteract the negative effects of SD on working memory.

Methods: In the present study, we utilized event-related potentials (ERPs) to investigate the restorative effects of 8 h of recovery sleep (RS) on working memory impairments induced by total sleep deprivation for 36 h. We analyzed ERP data from 42 healthy male participants who were randomly assigned to two groups. The nocturnal sleep (NS) group completed a 2-back working memory task before and after normal sleep for 8 h. The sleep deprivation (SD) group completed a 2-back working memory task before and after 36 h of total sleep deprivation (TSD) and after 8 h of RS. Electroencephalographic data were recorded during each task.

Results: The N2 and P3 components-which are related to working memory-exhibited low-amplitude and slow-wave characteristics after 36 h of TSD. Additionally, we observed a significant decrease in N2 latency after 8 h of RS. RS also induced significant increases in the amplitude of the P3 component and in the behavioral indicators.

Discussion: Overall, 8 h of RS attenuated the decrease in working memory performance caused by 36 h of TSD. However, the effects of RS appear to be limited.

Keywords: N2; P3; event-related potential; recovery sleep; sleep deprivation; working memory.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Schematic diagram of the working memory task.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Experimental design for the nocturnal sleep (NS) group. Participants completed the tasks twice: before and after 8 h of sleep in the laboratory. Electroencephalographic data were recorded simultaneously. The arrows indicate various time points during the 2-back working memory task.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Experimental design for the sleep deprivation (SD) group. After 8 h of sleep in our laboratory, participants underwent 36 h of total sleep deprivation (TSD), followed by 8 h of recovery sleep (RS). Electroencephalographic data were recorded simultaneously. The arrows indicate various time points during the 2-back working memory task.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Reaction time, rate of correct responses, and number of correct responses per unit time (mean ± standard deviation). SD, sleep deprivation; BS, baseline; NS, nocturnal sleep. *p < 0.05, **p < 0.01, ***p < 0.001.
Figure 5
Figure 5
Grand mean amplitude of the P3 component in the nocturnal sleep (NS) group at the baseline state (BS) and after 0 h of sleep deprivation (SD0). Averaged data from the F3, Fz, F4, C3, Cz, C4, P3, Pz, and P4 electrodes are shown. The topographies correspond to average activity in the time windows (350–450 ms, indicated by the gray bar) around the local peaks.
Figure 6
Figure 6
Grand mean amplitude of the P3 component in the sleep deprivation (SD) group after 0 h of sleep deprivation (SD0) and 36 h of sleep deprivation (SD36). Averaged data from the F3, Fz, F4, C3, Cz, C4, P3, Pz, and P4 electrodes are shown. The topographies correspond to average activity in the time windows (350–450 ms, indicated by the gray bar) around the local peaks.
Figure 7
Figure 7
Reaction time, rate of correct responses, and number of correct responses per unit time in the three sleep states (mean ± standard deviation). SD: sleep deprivation; RS: recovery sleep. *p < 0.05, **p < 0.01, ***p < 0.001.
Figure 8
Figure 8
Grand mean amplitude of the P3 component in the sleep deprivation (SD) group after 0 h of sleep deprivation (SD0), 36 h of sleep deprivation (SD36), and 8 h of recovery sleep (RS-8 h). Averaged data from F3, Fz, F4, C3, Cz, C4, P3, Pz, and P4 electrodes are shown. The topographies correspond to average activity in the time windows (350–450 ms, indicated by the gray bar) around the local peaks.
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