Electrophysiological Mechanism of Attention of Sleep Deprivation: Evidence From Event-Related Potentials (ERP) Data

Shengjun Wu; Peng Yue; Lin Wu; Chaoxian Wang; Xinxin Lin; Xinhong Li

doi:10.7759/cureus.33464

Electrophysiological Mechanism of Attention of Sleep Deprivation: Evidence From Event-Related Potentials (ERP) Data

Cureus. 2023 Jan 6;15(1):e33464. doi: 10.7759/cureus.33464. eCollection 2023 Jan.

Authors

Shengjun Wu¹, Peng Yue¹, Lin Wu¹, Chaoxian Wang^{1

2}, Xinxin Lin¹, Xinhong Li³

Affiliations

¹ Military Medical Psychology, Air Force Medical University, Xi'an, CHN.
² Unit 94955 of PLA, Nantong, CHN.
³ General Practice, Tangdu Hospital, Air Force Medical University, Xi'an, CHN.

Abstract

Introduction: The purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of sleep deprivation on individual attentional function and related electrophysiological mechanisms.

Methods: Twenty healthy men who were deprived of sleep for 24 h were evaluated by selective attention test, persistent attention test, and event-related potentials (ERP) experiment.

Results: After 24 h of sleep deprivation, the subjects' selective attention decreased, mainly manifested as prolonged response time, decreased motion stability, increased rate of neglect error, decreased sustained attention, prolonged latency of P300 at Cz (p=0.001), and decreased amplitude (p=0.000).

Conclusion: After 24 h of sleep deprivation, the attentional ability decreased significantly, and behavioral and ERP indicators showed certain changes.

Keywords: attention; cognitive function; electroencephalogram; event-related potentials; sleep deprivation.

Grants and funding

This study was supported in part by the grants from the Key Scientific Research Project of Military Logistics in the 14th Five-Year Plan (BKJ21J013).