Brain Activity Correlates With Cognitive Performance Deterioration During Sleep Deprivation.

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Cognitive Psychology
• Sleep Research

Background:

• Sleep deprivation significantly impacts cognitive functions, including attention, reaction time, and decision-making.
• Understanding the neural correlates of performance decline during extended wakefulness is crucial for mitigating risks.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the correlation between electroencephalographic (EEG) oscillatory brain activity and cognitive performance during 24 hours of sleep deprivation.
• To identify specific EEG markers associated with changes in response inhibition and reactivity.

Main Methods:

• Ten healthy subjects underwent a 24-hour sleep deprivation protocol.
• Cognitive performance was assessed using the Error Awareness Task (EAT), measuring response inhibition (accuracy on No-Go trials) and reactivity (reaction time on Go trials).
• Simultaneously, EEG data was recorded from nine channels, and relative power of different frequency bands (gamma, beta, alpha, theta, delta) was analyzed.

Main Results:

• Cognitive performance remained relatively stable between 6 and 16 hours of sleep deprivation, followed by significant impairment after 18 hours.
• Response inhibition measures (SNGacc, RNGacc) showed strong correlations with alpha and theta wave power, particularly in the F7 channel (r=0.82-0.84).
• Reactivity (GRT) was most correlated with gamma wave power in the Fp2 channel (r=0.76).

Conclusions:

• Quantitative EEG measures effectively reflect cognitive performance changes induced by sleep deprivation.
• Specific EEG frequency bands and channels (F7, Fp2) show significant correlations with response inhibition and reactivity, respectively.
• EEG analysis can serve as a valuable tool for monitoring sleep deprivation effects and developing countermeasures.