Abnormal functional connectivity density in sleep-deprived subjects

• Published in: Brain imaging and behavior 2018-12, Vol.12 (6), p.1650-1657
• Main Authors: Yang, Liu, Lei, Yu, Wang, Lubin, Chen, Pinhong, Cheng, Shan, Chen, Shanshan, Sun, Jicheng, Li, Yanyan, Wang, Yihan, Hu, Wendong, Yang, Zheng
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Arousal; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Biomedicine; Brain; Brain - diagnostic imaging; Brain - physiopathology; Brain architecture; Brain Mapping; Cortex (cingulate); Cortex (parietal); Functional magnetic resonance imaging; Functional morphology; Humans; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Male; Neural networks; Neural Pathways - diagnostic imaging; Neural Pathways - physiopathology; Neuroimaging; Neuropsychology; Neuroradiology; Neurosciences; Occipital lobe; Original Research; Postcentral gyrus; Prefrontal cortex; Psychiatry; Reaction time; Reaction time task; Rest; Sensory integration; Sleep and wakefulness; Sleep deprivation; Sleep Deprivation - diagnostic imaging; Sleep Deprivation - physiopathology; Somatosensory cortex; Superior temporal gyrus; Temporal cortex; Temporal gyrus; Thalamus; Vigilance; Wakefulness; Young Adult
• ISSN: 1931-7557; 1931-7565
• DOI: 10.1007/s11682-018-9829-9

Sleep deprivation (SD) can alter the intrinsic brain functional organization. However, its effects on intrinsic low-frequency connectivity in the whole brain have not been well characterized. In this study, we used voxel-based functional connectivity density (FCD) analysis to investigate the effects of SD on the spontaneous functional organization of the brain. Thirty-seven healthy participants underwent this within-subject crossover functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) study during rested wakefulness (RW) and after 36 h of total sleep deprivation (TSD). Decreased long-/short-range FCDs were observed in the posterior cingulate cortex, precuneus, inferior parietal lobule, dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, dorsomedial prefrontal cortex, and ventromedial prefrontal cortex. Increased long-/short-range FCDs were found in the sensory integration and arousal regulating areas, including the postcentral gyrus, thalamus, superior temporal gyrus, and occipital-temporal cortex. Moreover, a significant negative correlation was found between the short-range FCD of the PCC and the reaction time of Psychomotor Vigilance Task. In the present study, spontaneous functional organization with significant group-wise differences between RW and TSD sessions was identified. Our findings extend our understanding of the neural mechanism of how brain activity is altered in sleep-deprived individuals.