Using a Single Daytime Performance Test to Identify Most Individuals at High-Risk for Performance Impairment during Extended Wake

Sci Rep. 2019 Nov 13;9(1):16681. doi: 10.1038/s41598-019-52930-y.

Abstract

We explored the predictive value of a neurobehavioral performance assessment under rested baseline conditions (evaluated at 8 hours awake following 8 hours of sleep) on neurobehavioral response to moderate sleep loss (evaluated at 20 hours awake two days later) in 151 healthy young participants (18-30 years). We defined each participant's response-to-sleep-loss phenotype based on the number of attentional failures on a 10-min visual psychomotor vigilance task taken at 20 hours awake (resilient: less than 6 attentional failures, n = 26 participants; non-resilient: 6 or more attentional failures, n = 125 participants). We observed that 97% of rested participants with 2 or more attentional failures (n = 73 of 151) and 100% of rested participants with 3 or more attentional failures (n = 57 of 151) were non-resilient after moderate sleep loss. Our approach can accurately identify a significant proportion of individuals who are at high risk for neurobehavioral performance impairment from staying up late with a single neurobehavioral performance assessment conducted during rested conditions. Additional methods are needed to predict the future performance of individuals who are not identified as high risk during baseline.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Attention
  • Circadian Rhythm
  • Cognition
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Prospective Studies
  • Psychomotor Performance / physiology*
  • Reaction Time / physiology*
  • Rest / physiology*
  • Sleep / physiology*
  • Sleep Deprivation / physiopathology*
  • Wakefulness / physiology*
  • Young Adult