Long-term total sleep deprivation reduces thalamic gray... : NeuroReport (original) (raw)

SLEEP

Long-term total sleep deprivation reduces thalamic gray matter volume in healthy men

Liu, Chunleia,*; Kong, Xiang-zhenb,*; Liu, Xueyongd; Zhou, Renlaia,b,c; Wu, Bind

aBeijing Key Laboratory of Applied Experimental Psychology, School of Psychology

bState Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning

cCenter for Collaboration and Innovation in Brain and Learning Sciences, Beijing Normal University

dNational Key Laboratory of Human Factors Engineering, China Astronaut Research and Training Center, Beijing, China

* Chunlei Liu and Xiang-zhen Kong contributed equally to the writing of this article.

Correspondence to Renlai Zhou, PhD, Beijing Key Laboratory of Applied Experimental Psychology, School of Psychology, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China Tel/fax: +86 10 5880 2021; e-mail: [email protected] or Bin Wu, PhD, National Key Laboratory of Human Factors Engineering, China Astronaut Research and Training Center, Beijing 100094, China Tel/fax: +86 10 68117398; e-mail: [email protected]

Received October 2, 2013

Accepted November 8, 2013

Abstract

Sleep loss can alter extrinsic, task-related functional MRI signals involved in attention, memory, and executive function. However, the effects of sleep loss on brain structure have not been well characterized. Recent studies with patients with sleep disorders and animal models have demonstrated reduction of regional brain structure in the hippocampus and thalamus. In this study, using T1-weighted MRI, we examined the change of regional gray matter volume in healthy adults after long-term total sleep deprivation (∼72 h). Regional volume changes were explored using voxel-based morphometry with a paired two-sample _t_-test. The results revealed significant loss of gray matter volume in the thalamus but not in the hippocampus. No overall decrease in whole brain gray matter volume was noted after sleep deprivation. As expected, sleep deprivation significantly reduced visual vigilance as assessed by the continuous performance test, and this decrease was correlated significantly with reduced regional gray matter volume in thalamic regions. This study provides the first evidence for sleep loss-related changes in gray matter in the healthy adult brain.