Background and purpose: Differences in hippocampal volume (HV) were compared between chronic primary insomniacs (PIs) and good sleepers (GSs), and the relationship between HV and memory function in PIs was investigated to clarify the effect of chronic sleep deprivation on brain structure and cognition.
Methods: Twenty PIs (mean age, 50 years; 18 females) and 20 age-, gender-, and education-matched GSs were enrolled. Brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was performed on a 1.5-T MRI scanner. Left and right HV and intracranial volume (ICV) were measured manually. Nighttime polysomnography and neuropsychological testing were also applied to all subjects. Group differences in HV were analyzed and the relationships between HV and sleep questionnaire data, nighttime polysomnography, and neuropsychological findings were evaluated.
Results: Compared to GSs, PIs exhibited significantly increased sleep latency and arousal index and a decreased percentage of REM sleep in nighttime polysomnography, as well as impaired verbal and visual memory, and frontal lobe function. Absolute HV and ICV did not differ significantly between PIs and GSs. In the PIs, right and left HVs were negatively correlated with the duration of insomnia and the arousal index, and positively correlated with the recognition of visual memory. In addition, free recall in verbal memory was positively correlated with left HV in PIs.
Conclusions: These findings suggest that chronic sleep deprivation impairs memory and frontal lobe function, and that a long duration of insomnia and poor sleep quality contribute to a bilateral reduction in HV.
Keywords: hippocampus; memory; primary insomnia; sleep; volumetry.