Impact of acute sleep deprivation on dynamic functional connectivity states

Sleep deprivation (SD) could amplify the temporal fluctuation of spontaneous brain activities that reflect different arousal levels using a dynamic functional connectivity (dFC) approach. Therefore, we intended to evaluate the test-retest reliability of dFC characteristics during rested wakefulness (RW), and to explore how the properties of these dynamic connectivity states were affected by extended durations of acute sleep loss (28/52 hr). We acquired resting-state fMRI and neuropsychological datasets in two independent studies: (a) twice during RW and once after 28 hr of SD (n = 15) and (b) after 52 hr of SD and after 14 hr of recovery sleep (RS; n = 14). Sliding-window correlations approach was applied to estimate their covariance matrices and corresponding three connectivity states were generated. The test-retest reliability of dFC properties demonstrated mean dwell time and fraction of connectivity states were reliable. After SD, the mean dwell time of a specific state, featured by strong subcortical-cortical anticorrelations, was significantly increased. Conversely, another globally hypoconnected state was significantly decreased. Subjective sleepiness and objective performances were separately positive and negative correlated with the increased and decreased state. Two brain connectivity states and their alterations might be sufficiently sensitive to reflect changes in the dynamics of brain mental activities after sleep loss.