Acute Sleep Deprivation Impairs Motor Inhibition in Table Tennis Athletes: An ERP Study

Abstract

Excellent response inhibition is the basis for outstanding competitive athletic performance, and sleep may be an important factor affecting athletes’ response inhibition. This study investigates the effect of sleep deprivation on athletes’ response inhibition, and its differentiating effect on non-athlete controls’ performance, with the aim of helping athletes effectively improve their response inhibition ability through sleep pattern manipulation. Behavioral and event-related potential (ERP) data were collected from 36 participants (16 table tennis athletes and 20 general college students) after 36 h of sleep deprivation using ERP techniques and a stop-signal task. Sleep deprivation’s different effects on response inhibition in the two groups were explored through repeated-measures ANOVA. Behavioral data showed that in a baseline state, stop-signal response time was significantly faster in table tennis athletes than in non-athlete controls, and appeared significantly longer after sleep deprivation in both groups. ERP results showed that at baseline state, N2, ERN, and P3 amplitudes were lower in table tennis athletes than in non-athlete controls, and corresponding significant decreases were observed in non-athlete controls after 36 h of sleep deprivation. Table tennis athletes showed a decrease in P3 amplitude and no significant difference in N2 and ERN amplitudes, after 36 h of sleep deprivation compared to the baseline state. Compared to non-athlete controls, table tennis athletes had better response inhibition, and the adverse effects of sleep deprivation on response inhibition occurred mainly in the later top-down motor inhibition process rather than in earlier automated conflict detection and monitoring.

Altered Postcentral Connectivity after Sleep Deprivation Correlates to Impaired Risk Perception: A Resting-State Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging Study

“…Numerous studies have shown that SD impairs cognitive function [ 38 , 39 , 40 ], which is consistent with our research results and presents a step down with two trough periods and plateaus. The first trough period occurs within 24–48 h of SD, which causes a 20–30% decline in cognitive function.…”

Differences in visuospatial cognition among table tennis players of different skill levels: an event-related potential study

“…However, the potential for a cognitive plateau—wherein the benefits of training plateau or diminish beyond a certain threshold ( Lampit et al, 2014 )—emerges with excessive training. Symons, Bruce & Main (2023) and Xu et al (2022) have suggested that adjustments in training frequency are necessary to sustain training effects, especially in the face of risks such as cognitive plateau (decline) and the impacts of sleep deprivation, including decreased P3 amplitude. The empirical evidence suggests that table tennis players, averaging 3–5 h of training daily, may encounter significant physical and cognitive fatigue due to the demanding nature of the sport.…”

Sleep architecture and emotional inhibition processing in adolescents hospitalized during a suicidal crisis

“…The current results further reinforce previous knowledge that impaired sleep hampers cognitive inhibitory control ( 51 ), a phenomenon also highlighted in the ERP literature. For instance, research has shown a reduction in the amplitude of the P3 component on cognitive control tasks following sleep deprivation ( 76 – 78 ). Furthermore, research examining emotionally charged stimuli has shown enhanced amplitudes of P3/late positive complex (LPP) to negative stimuli following sleep deprivation ( 79 ).…”