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Frontocentral Delta and Theta Oscillatory Responses are Sensitive to Sleep Deprivation During a Working Memory Task
Harun Yırıkoğulları1,2, Esra Dalmızrak1,2, Bahar Güntekin1,3
1Research Institute for Health Sciences and Technologies (SABITA), Neuroscience Research Center, Istanbul Medipol University, Istanbul, Turkey.
Clinical EEG and Neuroscience
|February 5, 2025
Summary
Sleep deprivation impairs working memory, evidenced by slower reaction times and altered brainwave activity. Specifically, reduced delta and theta power in the brain are linked to sleep loss effects on cognitive function.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Cognitive Psychology
- Sleep Research
Background:
- Sleep deprivation is a significant public health issue with known cognitive consequences.
- Working memory is particularly vulnerable to the effects of prolonged wakefulness.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the impact of 24-hour sleep deprivation on working memory performance.
- To analyze electroencephalogram (EEG) event-related oscillations (EROs) associated with working memory tasks under sleep deprivation.
Main Methods:
- Thirty healthy young adults (15 rested control, 15 sleep-deprived) performed a 2-back task during EEG recording.
- EEG data were analyzed for event-related power and phase-locking in delta, theta, and alpha frequency bands.
- Sleep-deprived group stayed awake for 24 hours prior to testing.
Main Results:
- Sleep-deprived individuals exhibited significantly longer reaction times on the 2-back task.
- No significant decrease in accuracy was observed between groups.
- EEG analysis showed reduced frontocentral delta and theta power responses in the sleep-deprived group.
- Task accuracy correlated positively with left frontocentral delta power (sleep-deprived) and theta power (rested controls).
Conclusions:
- Sleep deprivation adversely affects working memory, detectable through alterations in low-frequency brain oscillations.
- Frontocentral delta and theta EROs serve as potential biomarkers for sleep deprivation's impact on working memory.
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