Seasonal variation in human executive brain responses

It is well established that cognition shows daily fluctuations with changes in circadian phase and sleep pressure. The physiological impact of season changes, which is well characterized in animals, remains largely unexplored in human. Here we investigated the impact of seasonal variation on human cognitive brain function. This cross-sectional study,conducted in Liège (Belgium),spanned from May 2010 to October 2011. Following 8h in-lab baseline night of sleep, 30 volunteers (age 20.9+1.5; 15F)spent 42h awake under constant routine conditions(<5lux, semi-recumbent position, no time-cues). After12h recovery night, they underwent15minfMRI recording while performing a working memory 3-back task (3b) and a letter detection 0-back task (0b). Thus, fMRI data were acquired when volunteers had been in isolation under controlled conditionsfor 63h. Executive brain responses were isolated by subtracting 0b activity from 3b responses (3b>0b).Analysis tested seasonal influence on executive brain responses at the random effects level, using a phasoranalysis across the year.Inferences were conducted at p<0.05, after correction for multiple comparisons over a priori small volume of interest. Significanteffects of season on executive responses were detected inmiddle frontal and frontopolarregions, insula, and thalamus, with a maximum response at the end of summer and a minimum response at the end of winter.These brain areas are key regions for executive control and alertness.
These results constitute the first demonstration that seasonality directly impacts on human cognitive brain functions.