Evidence for widespread alterations in cortical microstructure after 32 h of sleep deprivation

Abstract

Cortical microstructure is influenced by circadian rhythm and sleep deprivation, yet the precise underpinnings of these effects remain unclear. The ratio between T1-weighted and T2-weighted magnetic resonance images (T1w/T2w ratio) has been linked to myelin levels and dendrite density and may offer novel insight into the intracortical microstructure of the sleep deprived brain. Here, we examined intracortical T1w/T2w ratio in 41 healthy young adults (26 women) before and after 32 h of either sleep deprivation (n = 18) or a normal sleep-wake cycle (n = 23). Linear models revealed significant group differences in T1w/T2w ratio change after 32 h in four clusters, including bilateral effects in the insular, cingulate, and superior temporal cortices, comprising regions involved in attentional, auditory and pain processing. Across clusters, the sleep deprived group showed an increased T1w/T2w ratio, while the normal sleep-wake group exhibited a reduced ratio. These changes were not explained by in-scanner head movement, and 95% of the effects across clusters remained significant after adjusting for cortical thickness and hydration. Compared with a normal sleep-wake cycle, 32 h of sleep deprivation yields intracortical T1w/T2w ratio increases. While the intracortical changes detected by this study could reflect alterations in myelin or dendritic density, or both, histological analyses are needed to clarify the precise underlying cortical processes.

Mitochondrial antioxidant elamipretide improves learning and memory impairment induced by chronic sleep deprivation in mice

“…We assessed cognitive impairment using the novel object recognition and Morris water maze tests in this study, as this is proven to be reliable tests that are strongly related with hippocampal‐dependent learning and memory (Zhang, Chen, et al., 2022 ). Previous studies showed that sleep dysfunction could affect hormone levels, neural circuits, dendrite density, and synaptic transmission, leading to cognitive decline (Brüning et al., 2019 ; Voldsbekk et al., 2022 ). Male Wistar rats subjected to sleep deprivation for 3 days showed spatial memory decline during the Morris water maze test (Duan et al., 2016 ).…”

Impacts of Blue Light Exposure From Electronic Devices on Circadian Rhythm and Sleep Disruption in Adolescent and Young Adult Students

“…Apart from behavioral effects, studies point to detrimental neurological and cognitive outcomes tied to chronic sleep restriction and irregular sleep patterns resulting from evening blue light exposure in adolescent students [35]. Magnetic resonance imaging scans have revealed reduced cortical thickness and volumes in frontal lobes essential to attention, memory, and complex processing after just a few nights of curtailed sleep [36]. Related studies on cognitive performance further demonstrate that one week of restricted sleep to 5 hours per night significantly slowed response times and impaired sustained attention compared to 9-hour sleep condition among teenagers [37].…”