Human Prosocial Preferences Are Related to Slow-Wave Activity in Sleep.

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Sleep Science
• Social Psychology

Background:

• Prosocial behavior is vital for societal function, yet individual differences exist.
• Previous research suggests sufficient sleep duration enhances prosociality.
• Understanding the neural underpinnings of individual differences in prosociality is crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the relationship between natural sleep characteristics and prosocial preferences in healthy adults.
• To identify specific sleep parameters and brain regions associated with variations in prosocial behavior.
• To explore the role of sleep depth, specifically slow-wave activity (SWA), in prosocial decision-making.

Main Methods:

• Utilized high-density electroencephalography (EEG) to record sleep data during natural overnight sleep in participants' homes.
• Employed an incentivized public goods game to quantify participants' prosocial preferences under real monetary consequences.
• Conducted whole-brain analyses, source localization, and current source density analyses to pinpoint neural correlates.

Main Results:

• Higher relative slow-wave activity (SWA) in the right temporoparietal junction (TPJ) was significantly associated with increased prosocial preferences.
• Findings indicate a positive correlation between sleep depth in the TPJ and prosociality.
• Sleep depth in the TPJ emerged as a more critical factor than mere sleep duration.

Conclusions:

• Sufficient sleep depth in the right TPJ, as indicated by SWA, is positively related to prosocial behavior.
• The TPJ's role in social cognition suggests sleep depth here may reflect dispositional social cognition ability.
• These findings contribute to understanding the neurobiological mechanisms linking sleep and prosociality.