The effect of sleep deprivation on median nerve somatosensory evoked potentials

Neurosci Lett. 2005 Jul;383(1-2):82-6. doi: 10.1016/j.neulet.2005.03.047. Epub 2005 Apr 7.

Abstract

The purpose of the study was to determine the effect of one night's sleep deprivation on the early and middle-latency median nerve (MN) somatosensory evoked potentials (SEPs). In 20 healthy volunteers, SEPs in response to electrical stimulation of the MN at the wrist were recorded for the 100-ms post-stimulus period, before and after one night of sleep deprivation. The P14 latency was significantly prolonged after sleep deprivation. We found significant increases in the amplitudes of the early parietal (N20-P24) and the frontal middle-latency (P45-N60) components following sleep deprivation. Our results indicate that somatosensory processing is altered after sleep deprivation.

Publication types

  • Comparative Study

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Analysis of Variance
  • Electric Stimulation / methods
  • Evoked Potentials, Somatosensory / physiology*
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Median Nerve / physiopathology*
  • Reaction Time / physiology
  • Reaction Time / radiation effects
  • Sleep Deprivation / physiopathology*
  • Wrist / innervation
  • Wrist / physiopathology
  • Wrist / radiation effects