Executive functioning is preserved in healthy young adults under acute sleep restriction

• Main Authors: Thais Schaedler, Jefferson Souza Santos, Roberta Almeida Vincenzi, Sofia Isabel Ribeiro Pereira, Fernando Mazzilli Louzada
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Brazilian Association of Sleep and Latin American Federation of Sleep Societies 2018-09-01
• Series: Sleep Science
• Subjects: Executive Functions; Impulsive Behavior; Sleep Deprivation; REM sleep
• Online Access: http://sleepscience.org.br/export-pdf/510/ssci-11-03-0152.pdf
• ISSN: 1984-0659; 1984-0063

Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate if a partial morning or evening sleep restriction protocol could affect executive functioning in healthy young adults. Methods: Participants were assigned to one of three groups: control (n=18), in which participants maintained their habitual sleep/ wake cycle; morning restriction (n=17), in which volunteers terminated sleep approximately three hours earlier than the usual on the experimental night, and evening restriction (n=13), in which volunteers initiated sleep approximately three hours later than the usual on the experimental night. On the day of the experiment, they performed the Stroop Test, the Go-NoGo Test and the Iowa Gambling Task (IGT). Results: When compared to the control group, neither morning nor evening sleep-restricted individuals displayed any significant deficits in: a) selective attention as assessed by the interference index (H=3.38; p=0.18) and time to performed the interference card (H=2.61; p=0.27) on the Stroop test; b) motor response inhibition as assessed by number of false alarms (H=0.8; p=0.67) on the Go-NoGo Test; and c) in decision-making as assessed by total won (H=2.64; p=0.26) and number of selected advantageous cards (H=4.43; p=0.11) on the IGT. Conclusion: These findings suggest that the ability to pay attention, inhibit a motor response and make decisions is preserved following approximately 3 hours of sleep restriction, regardless of its timing (in the morning or in the evening).