Functional gradient reorganization and its impact on spatial working memory after acute sleep deprivation

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Cognitive Neuroscience
• Brain Imaging

Background:

• Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) reveals functional gradients of cortical organization.
• The impact of acute sleep deprivation (ASD) on these gradients and cognitive functions like spatial working memory (SWM) remains under-investigated.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate how ASD affects functional gradient architecture.
• To determine if ASD-induced gradient reorganization contributes to SWM impairment.

Main Methods:

• Fifty healthy males underwent rs-fMRI and completed a 1-back task assessing SWM before and after ASD.
• Functional gradient metrics were computed and correlated with SWM performance.

Main Results:

• ASD significantly impaired SWM performance.
• Significant alterations in global and local features of the top three principal functional gradients were observed after ASD.
• Gradient alterations, particularly within Gradient 2 and 3, correlated with SWM performance metrics.

Conclusions:

• ASD induces global and local reorganization of brain functional gradients.
• Preserving a balance between functional segregation and integration across brain subnetworks is vital for maintaining SWM performance under sleep deprivation.