Decreased Information Replacement of Working Memory After Sleep Deprivation: Evidence From an Event-Related Potential Study

Abstract

Working memory (WM) components are altered after total sleep deprivation (TSD), both with respect to information replacement and result judgment. However, the electrophysiological mechanisms of WM alterations following sleep restriction remain largely unknown. To identify such mechanisms, event-related potentials were recorded during the n-back WM task, before and after 36 h sleep deprivation. Thirty-one young volunteers participated in this study and performed a two-back WM task with simultaneous electroencephalography (EEG) recording before and after TSD and after 8 h time in bed for recovery (TIBR). Repeated measures analysis of variance revealed that, compared to resting wakefulness, sleep deprivation induced a decrease in the P200 amplitude and induced longer reaction times. ERP-component scalp topographies results indicated that such decrease primarily occurred in the frontal cortex. The N200 and P300 amplitudes also decreased after TSD. Our results suggest that decreased information replacement of WM occurs after 36 h of TSD and that 8 h TIBR after a long period of TSD leads to partial restoration of WM functions. The present findings represent the EEG profile of WM during mental fatigue.

Total Sleep Deprivation Impairs Lateralization of Spatial Working Memory in Young Men

“…For working memory tasks, the effects of repetitive partial sleep deprivation (PSD) and TSD are not related to the level of execution load, and the effects of PSD are observed to be small ( Lo et al, 2012 ). Although in this study we only selected spatial working memory tasks, sleep deprivation also reduces the quality of information storage in pronunciation working memory ( Zhang et al, 2019 ) and damages the performance of the entire working memory system ( Peng et al, 2020 ).…”

“…Reduced amplitude and sustained latency of the P3 and N2 component are associated with prolonged sobriety ( Koslowsky and Babkoff, 1992 ; Morris et al, 1993 ; Jones and Harrison, 2001 ). A decrease in P3 volatility may reflect a reduction in individual attention and discernment of target stimuli ( Zhang et al, 2019 ). Research in the field of sleep using these techniques has linked TSD with response inhibition and working memory, and shown that working memory would be impaired after TSD.…”

High-Frequency Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation Could Improve Impaired Working Memory Induced by Sleep Deprivation

“…Growing evidence has demonstrated the critical impairments of SD on various cognitive abilities, especially on working memory both in younger and older healthy adults, after total SD or partial SD [14,15,[39][40][41][42][43]. Behavioral results of almost all these past studies found that subjects showed a significantly lower response accuracy rate, longer reaction time, and higher lapse rate on the working memory test after SD 4…”

Decreased P2 Waveform Reflects Impaired Brain Executive Function Induced by 12 h of Low Homeostatic Sleep Pressure: Evidence From an Event-Related Potential Study

“…The change to the P2 wave in working memory requirements is also very sensitive ( Smith et al, 2002 ). A study has shown that sleep pressure can significantly reduce the P2 peak amplitude in working memory and increase the latency ( Zhang L. et al, 2019 ). There are two potential reasons for the decrease in P2 peak amplitude: information processing changes and damage to information in early recognition.…”

“…Moreover, most studies have focused on long-term SD; therefore, whether low homeostatic sleep pressure has an adverse effect on individual cognitive processing and changes in the early ERP components has not yet been systematically concluded. Furthermore, there have been inconsistencies among some research findings ( Evans and Federmeier, 2007 ; Wiggins et al, 2018 ; Zhang L. et al, 2019 ).…”