[en] Objectives:Brain mechanisms underlying executive processes are regulated by circadian and sleep homeostatic processes. Furthermore, during sleep deprivation (SD), cognitive performance and neural responses are differentially modulated by a clock gene PERIOD3 polymorphism. Here, we investigated interindividual differences on executive brain responses under SD. Critically, we focused on the circadian evening wake maintenance zone (WMZ), a key time-point for sleep-wake regulation.
Methods:Thirty healthy young volunteers, genotyped for the PER3 polymorphism (10 PER3 5/5;20 PER3 4/4 homozygotes), underwent42-h SD under constant routine conditions. They performed a 3-back working memorytask in 13successivefMRI sessions. To compare neural activity in the WMZ before and during SD, sessions were realigned according to individual dim light melatonin onset.
Results:We tested for a group (PER3 5/5>PER3 4/4) by session effect (WMZ before vs. during SD). From the first evening WMZ(i.e. during a normal waking day) to the second (i.e. following 40h of continuous waking), PER3 5/5 individuals relative toPER3 4/4 showed significantly larger increase in responsesin the left mid-cingulate, bilateral precuneus and thalamus. Interestingly, these regions are involved in executive processes and arousal regulation (thalamus).
Conclusions:These results show that the strong circadian wake-maintenance signal depends on sleep pressure, in a PER3-genotype dependent manner. Interestingly, pronounced genotype differences wereobserved in the thalamus, an area that compensates potential lower cortical activity under SD.
Disciplines :
Neurosciences & behavior
Author, co-author :
Jaspar, Mathieu ; Université de Liège - ULiège > Centre de recherches du cyclotron
Meyer, Christelle ; Université de Liège - ULiège > Centre de recherches du cyclotron
Muto, Vincenzo ; Université de Liège - ULiège > Centre de recherches du cyclotron