The effect of sleep deprivation on cerebral glucose metabolic rate in normal humans assessed with positron emission tomography

• Published in: Sleep (New York, N.Y.) N.Y.), 1991-04, Vol.14 (2), p.155-162
• Main Authors: WU, J. C, GILLIN, J. C, BUCHSBAUM, M. S, HERSHEY, T, HAZLETT, E, SICOTTE, N, BUNNEY, W. E
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adult; Attention - physiology; Basal Ganglia - metabolism; Biological and medical sciences; Brain - diagnostic imaging; Brain - metabolism; Cerebellar Cortex - metabolism; Deoxyglucose - analogs & derivatives; Deoxyglucose - metabolism; Female; Fluorodeoxyglucose F18; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Glucose - metabolism; Humans; Male; Sleep - physiology; Sleep Deprivation - physiology; Sleep. Vigilance; Temporal Lobe - metabolism; Thalamus - metabolism; Tomography, Emission-Computed; Vertebrates: nervous system and sense organs; Visual Cortex - metabolism
• ISSN: 0161-8105; 1550-9109; 1550-9109
• DOI: 10.1093/sleep/14.2.155

This study is the first report on the effects of total sleep deprivation (about 32 h) on regional cerebral glucose metabolism during wakefulness in man, using positron emission tomography (PET) with F-18 deoxyglucose (FDG). Sleep deprivation leads to a significant reorganization of regional cerebral metabolic activity, with relative decreases in the temporal lobes and increases in visual cortex. Absolute glucose metabolic measurements indicate a decrease in thalamus, basal ganglia, white matter, and cerebellum. No overall decrease in whole brain metabolism was noted after sleep deprivation. As expected, sleep deprivation significantly reduced visual vigilance as assessed by the continuous performance test and this decrease was correlated significantly with reduced metabolic rate in thalamic, basal ganglia, and limbic regions.