Large-Scale Brain Network Coupling Predicts Total Sleep Deprivation Effects on Cognitive Capacity

Yu Lei; Yongcong Shao; Lubin Wang; Tianye Zhai; Feng Zou; Enmao Ye; Xiao Jin; Wuju Li; Jianlin Qi; Zheng Yang

doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0133959

Large-Scale Brain Network Coupling Predicts Total Sleep Deprivation Effects on Cognitive Capacity

PLoS One. 2015 Jul 28;10(7):e0133959. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0133959. eCollection 2015.

Authors

Yu Lei¹, Yongcong Shao¹, Lubin Wang¹, Tianye Zhai¹, Feng Zou¹, Enmao Ye¹, Xiao Jin¹, Wuju Li², Jianlin Qi³, Zheng Yang¹

Affiliations

¹ Beijing Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Beijing, PR China; Cognitive and Mental Health Research Center, Beijing, PR China.
² Beijing Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Beijing, PR China.
³ Department of Clinical Psychology, Air-Force General Hospital, Beijing, PR China.

Abstract

Interactions between large-scale brain networks have received most attention in the study of cognitive dysfunction of human brain. In this paper, we aimed to test the hypothesis that the coupling strength of large-scale brain networks will reflect the pressure for sleep and will predict cognitive performance, referred to as sleep pressure index (SPI). Fourteen healthy subjects underwent this within-subject functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) study during rested wakefulness (RW) and after 36 h of total sleep deprivation (TSD). Self-reported scores of sleepiness were higher for TSD than for RW. A subsequent working memory (WM) task showed that WM performance was lower after 36 h of TSD. Moreover, SPI was developed based on the coupling strength of salience network (SN) and default mode network (DMN). Significant increase of SPI was observed after 36 h of TSD, suggesting stronger pressure for sleep. In addition, SPI was significantly correlated with both the visual analogue scale score of sleepiness and the WM performance. These results showed that alterations in SN-DMN coupling might be critical in cognitive alterations that underlie the lapse after TSD. Further studies may validate the SPI as a potential clinical biomarker to assess the impact of sleep deprivation.

Publication types

Clinical Trial
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Adult
Brain* / diagnostic imaging
Brain* / physiopathology
Cognition*
Humans
Magnetic Resonance Imaging*
Male
Nerve Net* / diagnostic imaging
Nerve Net* / physiopathology
Radiography
Sleep Deprivation* / diagnostic imaging
Sleep Deprivation* / physiopathology

Grants and funding

Financial support for this work was provided by National Military Science Foundation of China, grant number BWS11J045 (Y S), 06z066 (Y S), AWS11Z005-2 (Y S), AWS12J003 (Y S), and 2013BAHD2806 (Y S). The funder had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.