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EEG arousals in normal sleep: variations induced by total and selective slow-wave sleep deprivation
L De Gennaro1, M Ferrara, M Bertini
1Department of Psychology, University of Rome La Sapienza, Italy. luigi.degennaro@uniroma1.it
Study Objectives:
Aim of the present study was to assess changes in arousal rates after selective slow-wave (SWS) and total sleep deprivations.
Design:
Two-way mixed design comparing the arousal index (Al), as expressed by the number of EEG arousals divided by sleep duration, in totally or selectively sleep deprived subjects.
Setting:
Sleep laboratory.
Patients Or Participants:
Nineteen normal male subjects [mean age=23.3 years (S.E.M.=0.55)].
Interventions:
Al was measured in baseline nights and after selective SWS (N=10) and total sleep deprivation (N=9).
Measurements And Results:
During the baseline nights AI values changed across sleep stages as follows: stage 1 > stage 2 and REM > SWS, but did not present any significant variations as a function of time elapsed from sleep onset. The recovery after deprivation showed a reduction in EEG arousals, more pronounced after total sleep deprivation; this decrease affected NREM but not REM sleep. During the baseline nights Al showed a close-to-significance negative correlation with REM duration, while during the recovery nights a significant positive relation with stage 1 duration was found.
Conclusions:
The present results suggest that recuperative processes after sleep deprivation are also associated with a higher sleep continuity as defined by the reduction of EEG arousals.