Effect of 24-hour sleep deprivation on cerebral hemodynamics and cognitive performance

Sleep deprivation (SD) is associated with decreased cognitive performance, but
the underlying mechanisms are poorly understood. To assess the impact of SD on
cerebral hemodynamics in the frontal lobe, functional near-infrared
spectroscopy (fNIRS) measurements were carried out on young subjects. Ten
young healthy adults (males, age of 27.6±3.7 years, one left-handed
participant) were recruited for this study conducted in 2018 at University of
Oklahoma, Translational Geroscience Laboratory. The examination protocol began
with assessment of cognitive performance with the aid of Cambridge
Neuropsychological Test Automated Battery (CANTAB). The following tests were
used: motor screening task, rapid visual processing, reaction time, spatial
working memory, paired associated learning, and delayed matching to visual
sample. Subsequently fNIRS measurements were taken from participants while
carrying out a finger-tapping exercise. Each subject was presented with an
auditory command to perform a finger-tapping task over three sets of 10
seconds using the left index finger and three sets of 10 seconds using the
right index finger, with 10 seconds inter-stimulus periods between each task.
Functional NIRS recordings were acquired using a NIRScout platform (NIRx
Medical Technologies LLC, NY, USA). Relative oxy- and deoxyhemoglobin time
series can be obtained from measured intensities by applying differential
modified Beer Lamber Law. All measurements were performed before and after 24
hours of SD. The dataset forms the basis for two studies that explore: (1) the
relationship between sleep deprivation, cognitive performance, and
neurovascular coupling response in young healthy adults; and (2) sleep
deprivation and functional connectivity of the frontal cortex.