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Updated: Feb 24, 2026
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The Rodent Psychomotor Vigilance Test rPVT: A Method for Assessing Neurobehavioral Performance in Rats and Mice
Published on: December 29, 2016
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Non-REM sleep-disordered breathing affects performance on the psychomotor vigilance task
Takuro Kitamura1, Soichiro Miyazaki2, Hiroshi Kadotani3
1Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, University of Occupational and Environmental Health, 1-1, Iseigaoka, Yahatanishi-ku, Kitakyushu, 807-8555, Japan. kitamura@med.uoeh-u.ac.jp.
Sleep & Breathing = Schlaf & Atmung
|August 16, 2017
Summary
Sleep-disordered breathing during non-REM sleep significantly impacts vigilance lapses more than during REM sleep. This finding highlights the importance of addressing non-REM sleep disturbances in sleep apnea patients to improve attention.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Sleep Medicine
- Behavioral Science
Background:
- Sleep apnea affects sleep architecture, but its differential impact on cognitive performance during REM and NREM sleep is not fully understood.
- Vigilance and attention are critical cognitive functions susceptible to sleep disruption.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the effect of sleep phase fragmentation caused by sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) during REM and NREM sleep on vigilance and attention.
- To compare the impact of SDB during REM versus NREM sleep on psychomotor vigilance task (PVT) performance.
Main Methods:
- 163 adult subjects with obstructive sleep apnea underwent polysomnography (PSG) and a 10-min PVT.
- Key PVT outcomes included mean reaction time (RT), lapse count, and reciprocal RT slope.
- The Apnea-Hypopnea Index (AHI) during REM (AHI_REM) and NREM (AHI_NREM) sleep was analyzed.
Main Results:
- Multivariate regression analysis revealed that AHI during NREM sleep (AHI_NREM) was significantly associated with PVT lapses.
- AHI_NREM showed a greater impact on vigilance lapses compared to AHI_REM, after adjusting for relevant covariates.
Conclusions:
- Sleep-disordered breathing during NREM sleep significantly impairs vigilance.
- These findings suggest that NREM sleep fragmentation due to SDB has a more pronounced effect on attention lapses than REM sleep fragmentation.
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