Altered Resting-State Amygdala Functional Connectivity after 36 Hours of Total Sleep Deprivation

Abstract

ObjectivesRecent neuroimaging studies have identified a potentially critical role of the amygdala in disrupted emotion neurocircuitry in individuals after total sleep deprivation (TSD). However, connectivity between the amygdala and cerebral cortex due to TSD remains to be elucidated. In this study, we used resting-state functional MRI (fMRI) to investigate the functional connectivity changes of the basolateral amygdala (BLA) and centromedial amygdala (CMA) in the brain after 36 h of TSD.Materials and MethodsFourteen healthy adult men aged 25.9±2.3 years (range, 18–28 years) were enrolled in a within-subject crossover study. Using the BLA and CMA as separate seed regions, we examined resting-state functional connectivity with fMRI during rested wakefulness (RW) and after 36 h of TSD.ResultsTSD resulted in a significant decrease in the functional connectivity between the BLA and several executive control regions (left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex [DLPFC], right dorsal anterior cingulate cortex [ACC], right inferior frontal gyrus [IFG]). Increased functional connectivity was found between the BLA and areas including the left posterior cingulate cortex/precuneus (PCC/PrCu) and right parahippocampal gyrus. With regard to CMA, increased functional connectivity was observed with the rostral anterior cingulate cortex (rACC) and right precentral gyrus.ConclusionThese findings demonstrate that disturbance in amygdala related circuits may contribute to TSD psychophysiology and suggest that functional connectivity studies of the amygdala during the resting state may be used to discern aberrant patterns of coupling within these circuits after TSD.

Altered superficial amygdala–cortical functional link in resting state after 36 hours of total sleep deprivation

“…Beyond the increased functional connectivity, we also found decreased functional connectivity between SFA and dACC, consistent with our previous study (Shao et al, ). According to our previous analysis, BL and CM amygdala also showed decreased functional connectivity with dACC, which is closely related to the process of executive control.…”

The relationship between biological and psychosocial risk factors and resting‐state functional connectivity in 2‐month‐old Bangladeshi infants: A feasibility and pilot study

“…maternal separation during childhood is linked to upregulation of glucocorticoids, while abuse is linked to downregulation (for a review, please see Lupien et al, ). Future studies could examine whether the relationship between income‐to‐needs and amygdala/precuneus iFC is mediated by (a) the stable presence of the mother or other caregiver, which is thought to attenuate the response of the amygdala to stress by reducing secretion of glucocorticoids from the HPA system (Fareri & Tottenham, )); (b) the same psychosocial variables as explored here but referencing the postnatal, rather than prenatal, time points; (c) sleep deprivation, which is associated with poverty (Patel, Grandner, Xie, Branas, & Gooneratne, ) and also relatively greater amygdala/precuneus iFC (Shao et al, ); or (d) environmental contaminants (Farah, ; Jensen et al, ). Lastly, it should be noted that the framework by Noble and colleagues () was proposed in the context of older children (5–17 years‐of‐age in their study), not 2‐month‐old infants, who may be too young to embody maternal psychosocial stress.…”

Altered functional connectivity of amygdala underlying the neuromechanism of migraine pathogenesis

“…An animal study demonstrated that amygdala played a role in sleep regulation and sleep disturbance may be associated with psychopathology [39], and a recent resting-state functional MRI showed that altered amygdala FC was investigated after 36 h of total sleep deprivation [40]. Therefore, sleep disturbance may involve the functions of amygdala.…”