The emotional brain and sleep: An intimate relationship

Vandekerckhove, Marie; Cluydts, Raymond

doi:10.1016/j.smrv.2010.01.002

Cited by 263 publications

(170 citation statements)

References 62 publications

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“…Even though none of the alternative mediation models outperformed the model proposed here on the basis of recent findings on the role of REM sleep in emotion regulation, a more definite conclusion will require studies using experimental manipulation of emotions and sleep. Finally, whereas there was good reason to focus first on distress induced by shame in our innovative approach to the role of sleep in self-conscious emotions rather than the basic emotions usually studied (27,28,45), our findings should not be interpreted as supporting a unique role for shame or self-conscious emotions. Future studies could address whether the duration of distress elicited by other self-conscious and basic emotions has a similar two-factor structure and, if so, whether long-lasting distress from such experiences shows a similar strong association with nocturnal mentation, hyperarousal, and insomnia severity.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 70%

Slow dissolving of emotional distress contributes to hyperarousal

Wassing

Benjamins

Dekker

et al. 2016

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

140

121

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The mechanisms underlying hyperarousal, the key symptom of insomnia, have remained elusive, hampering cause-targeted treatment. Recently, restless rapid-eye-movement (REM) sleep emerged as a robust signature of sleep in insomnia. Given the role of REM sleep in emotion regulation, we hypothesized that restless REM sleep could interfere with the overnight resolution of emotional distress, thus contributing to accumulation of arousal. Participants (n = 1,199) completed questionnaires on insomnia severity, hyperarousal, self-conscious emotional distress, and thought-like nocturnal mentation that was validated to be a specific proxy for restless REM sleep (selective fragmentation: R = 0.57, P < 0.001; eye movement density: R = 0.46, P < 0.01) in 32 polysomnographically assessed participants. The experience of distress lasting overnight increased with insomnia severity (β = 0.29, P < 10 −23 ), whereas shortlasting distress did not (β = −0.02, P = 0.41). Insomnia severity was associated with hyperarousal (β = 0.47, P < 10 −63 ) and with the thought-like nocturnal mentation that is specifically associated with restless REM sleep (β = 0.31, P < 10 −26 ). Structural equation modeling showed that 62.4% of the association between these key characteristics of insomnia was mediated specifically by reduced overnight resolution of emotional distress. The model outperformed all alternative mediation pathways. The findings suggest that restless REM sleep reflects a process that interferes with the overnight resolution of distress. Its accumulation may promote the development of chronic hyperarousal, giving clinical relevance to the role of REM sleep in emotion regulation in insomnia, depression, and posttraumatic stress disorder.B oth insomnia and affective disorders are among the most prevalent and burdening health concerns facing our society. Targeted prevention of affective disorders in people at risk, as well as identification of mechanisms of conversion, could be the most viable approach to mitigate their increasing global burden (1). For the prevention of new-onset or recurrent affective disorder, insomnia may be the major risk factor that can be targeted best (2, 3). About 13% of people with insomnia develop major depression disorder (MDD) within a year (2). Moreover, remission rates after cognitive behavioral therapy are 21% lower for depressed patients with abnormal sleep compared with patients with relatively intact sleep (4). It therefore appears highly relevant to understand the mechanisms involved in the role of insomnia in disturbed emotion regulation (2). The present study addresses the roles of restless rapid-eye-movement (REM) sleep (5) and chronic physiological arousal (6), which are characteristic of both insomnia and MDD.Although sleep contributes to the more robust consolidation of emotional memories, relative to neutral memories (7, 8), their later recall is not associated with anywhere near the same magnitude of subjective emotional distress, autonomic arousal, and amygdala activation (7, 9-11). REM sleep p...

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 70%

Slow dissolving of emotional distress contributes to hyperarousal

Wassing

Benjamins

Dekker

et al. 2016

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

140

121

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

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“…[44][45][46][47] REM has also been implicated in sleep-dependent emotional processing. 19,21,48 For the analysis of variance, the whole sample, excluding outliers, was included. However, for the follow-up regressions, only participants with PSG were used.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Mild Traumatic Brain Injury Chronically Impairs Sleep- and Wake-Dependent Emotional Processing

Mantua¹,

Henry

Garskovas

et al. 2017

Sleep

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Study Objectives: A single traumatic brain injury (TBI), even when mild (ie, concussion), can cause lasting consequences. Individuals with a history of chronic (>1-year prior) mild TBI have an increased risk of mood disturbances (eg, depression, suicide). This population also has lingering sleep alterations, including poor sleep quality and changes in sleep stage proportions. Given these sleep deficits, we aimed to test whether sleep-dependent emotional memory consolidation is reduced in this population. We utilized a mild TBI group (3.7 ± 2.9 years post injury) and an uninjured (non-TBI) population. Methods: Participants viewed negative and neutral images both before and after a 12-hour period containing sleep ("Sleep" group) or an equivalent period of time spent awake ("Wake" group). Participants rated images for valence/arousal at both sessions, and memory recognition was tested at session two. Results: The TBI group had less rapid eye movement (REM), longer REM latency, and more sleep complaints. Sleep-dependent memory consolidation of nonemotional images was present in all participants. However, consolidation of negative images was only present in the non-TBI group. A lack of differentiation between the TBI Sleep and Wake groups was due to poor performance in the sleep group and, unexpectedly, enhanced performance in the wake group. Additionally, although the non-TBI participants habituated to negative images over a waking period, the TBI participants did not. Conclusions: We propose disrupted sleep-and wake-dependent emotional processing contributes to poor emotional outcomes following chronic, mild TBI. This work has broad implications, as roughly one-third of the US population will sustain a mild TBI during their lifetime.

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“…Based on research within medicine and biology, we know that night's rest is essential to helping maintain mood, attention, motivation, memory and cognitive performance. While asleep, the brain integrates new knowledge and forms new associations (see, e.g., AlDabal & BaHammam, 2011;Alvaro, 2014;Beebe, 2011;Buckhalt et al, 2007;Gais & Born, 2004;Louca & Short, 2014;Meijer et al, 2000;Siegel, 2001;Vandekerckhove & Cluydts, 2010;Walker & Stickgold, 2004). From an empirical point of view, former contributions indeed found a positive relation between sleep quality and/or sleep duration and academic performance.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Mister Sandman, bring me good marks! On the relationship between sleep quality and academic achievement

Baert

Omey

Verhaest

et al. 2015

Social Science & Medicine

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Abstract. There is growing evidence that health factors affect tertiary education success in a causal way. This study assesses the effect of sleep quality on academic achievement at university. To this end, we surveyed 2 804 students about their sleep quality by means of the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) before the start of their first exam period in December 2013 at Ghent University. PSQI scores were merged with course marks in this exam period. Instrumenting PSQI scores by sleep quality during secondary education, we find that increasing total sleep quality with one standard deviation leads to 4.85 percentage point higher course marks.Based on this finding, we suggest that higher education providers might be incentivised to invest part of their resources for social facilities in professional support for students with sleep and other health problems.

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The emotional brain and sleep: An intimate relationship

Cited by 263 publications

References 62 publications

Slow dissolving of emotional distress contributes to hyperarousal

Slow dissolving of emotional distress contributes to hyperarousal

Mild Traumatic Brain Injury Chronically Impairs Sleep- and Wake-Dependent Emotional Processing

Mister Sandman, bring me good marks! On the relationship between sleep quality and academic achievement

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