Ventral tegmental area functional connectivity as a marker of resilience to sleep deprivation

Sleep deprivation (SD) impairs cognitive functions like attention and reaction speed, though some individuals exhibit a trait-like resilience to these effects. To explore the neurobiological basis of this resilience, we quantified cognitive performance using the Percentage Reaction Speed Change (PRSC) from the psychomotor vigilance test (PVT). We then examined the relationship between PRSC and ventral tegmental area (VTA) functional connectivity during 28 h of SD.

Forty-four healthy adults (21 females; age = 25.4 ± 5.6 years) underwent a resting-state functional MRI (rs-fMRI) to examine whole-brain VTA connectivity. Within the same week, participants completed a 28-hour SD protocol, during which PVT performance was measured. We examined the association between VTA connectivity and PRSC, with a focus on connections to the Primary Visual Cortex (V1) and Supplementary and Cingulate Eye Field (SCEF).

Greater VTA connectivity with the V1 and SCEF was associated with higher PRSC, suggesting that stronger VTA connectivity to these visual processing and cognitive control regions supports cognitive resilience to SD.

The VTA contributes to cognitive resilience during sleep deprivation through its connectivity with visual and cognitive control regions. These findings provide insight into neural mechanisms that help preserve cognitive performance under SD.