Acute sleep loss increases CNS health biomarkers and compromises the ability to stay awake in a sex-and weight-specific manner

Abstract

Night shift work impairs vigilance performance, reduces the ability to stay awake, and compromises brain health. To investigate if the magnitude of these adverse night shift work effects differs between sexes and weight groups, 47 men and women with either normal weight or obesity participated in one night of sleep and one night of total sleep loss. During the night of sleep loss, participants’ subjective sleepiness, vigilance performance, and ability to stay awake during 2-min quiet wake with eyes closed were repeatedly assessed. In addition, blood was collected in the morning after sleep loss and sleep to measure central nervous system (CNS) health biomarkers. Our analysis showed that women were sleepier during the night of sleep loss (P < 0.05) and spent more time in microsleep during quiet wake testing (P < 0.05). Finally, higher blood levels of neurofilament light chain, a biomarker of axonal damage, were found among women in the morning after sleep loss (P < 0.002). Compared with normal-weight subjects, those with obesity were more prone to fall asleep during quiet wake (P < 0.05) and exhibited higher blood levels of the CNS health biomarker pTau181 following sleep loss (P = 0.001). Finally, no differences in vigilance performance were noted between the sex and weight groups. Our findings suggest that the ability to stay awake during and the CNS health biomarker response to night shift work may differ between sexes and weight groups. Follow-up studies must confirm our findings under more long-term night shift work conditions.

Mechanisms behind changes of neurodegeneration biomarkers in plasma induced by sleep deprivation

“… 13 Several researchers have reported increased plasma concentrations of P-Tau181 after sleep deprivation. 13 , 15 , 18 Reduced P-Tau181 plasma concentrations have also been reported after sleep deprivation. 14 Here, the P-Tau181 plasma concentrations did not differ between intervention groups on the morning Day 2.…”

Effects of acute sleep loss on leptin, ghrelin, and adiponectin in adults with healthy weight and obesity: A laboratory study

“…Therefore, no clinical trial was preregistered. The described experiment herein is part of a more extensive study investigating the health consequences of total sleep deprivation [34–36].…”

“…Therefore, no clinical trial was preregistered. The described experiment herein is part of a more extensive study investigating the health consequences of total sleep deprivation [34][35][36]. After the overnight fast (i.e., after both sleep and total sleep deprivation), blood was collected at 7:30 a.m. and centrifuged at 1300 relative centrifugal force for 10 minutes at 4 C. The supernatant was then aliquoted and stored at À80 C until further analysis.…”

Effects of One Night of Forced Wakefulness on Morning Resting Blood Pressure in Humans: The Role of Biological Sex and Weight Status

“…All participants gave informed consent before the study onset. The results described herein are part of a more extensive study investigating the possible health consequences of one night of forced overnight wakefulness (e.g., [ 29 , 30 ]).…”