Abstract

Introduction

Sleep deprivation consistently impairs vigilant attention and placekeeping, which is the ability to maintain place in a sequence of steps without skipping or repeating steps. Placekeeping is a broadly important component of higher-order cognition. Previously, we found that caffeine benefitted vigilant attention but had no effect on placekeeping for most individuals. Here, we investigated the extent to which another intervention, brief naps, mitigated deficits in vigilant attention and placekeeping during a period of sleep deprivation.

Methods

In the evening, participants completed assessments of placekeeping and vigilant attention, the UNRAVEL task and Psychomotor Vigilance Task (PVT), respectively. Participants were then randomly assigned to either stay awake in the laboratory overnight (Sleep-deprived) or sleep at home (Rested). Sleep-deprived participants were also randomly given a 0, 30, or 60 minute nap opportunity. During the naps, participants were setup with partial polysomnography. In the morning, Rested participants returned and everyone completed UNRAVEL and PVT again.

Results

Sleep deprivation increased placekeeping errors, particularly following interrupted performance, and increased attentional lapses. A brief nap opportunity did not mitigate placekeeping or vigilant attention deficits. Polysomnography data showed that total sleep time was negatively related to placekeeping errors following an interruption; participants who slept more made fewer post-interruption errors. Slow wave sleep (SWS) was negatively related to attentional lapses and placekeeping errors on non-interruption trials; participants who obtained more SWS made fewer lapses and non-interruption errors. Sleep latency was also negatively related to attentional lapses, such that participants who fell asleep quickly, an indication of greater sleepiness, had more attentional lapses.

Conclusion

A brief nap during a period of sleep deprivation is not a viable intervention and longer naps may be required before observable performance benefits emerge. However, specific aspects of sleep architecture were related to performance on the two tasks, suggesting domain-specific deficits due to sleep deprivation.

Support

Funding received by the Office of Naval Research N00014-16-1-2841.

中文翻译：

---

0266在睡眠剥夺期间短暂的小睡不会缓解认知障碍

摘要

介绍

睡眠不足会持续损害警惕性和注意力，这是保持一系列步骤的位置而无需跳过或重复步骤的能力。占位是高阶认知的重要组成部分。以前，我们发现咖啡因可以提高警惕，但对大多数人而言，对保持位置没有影响。在这里，我们调查了睡眠不足期间另一种干预措施（短暂的小睡）减轻了警惕性注意力和占位的不足的程度。

方法

当天晚上，参加者分别完成了对占位和警惕性，UNRAVEL任务和Psychomotor警惕任务（PVT）的评估。然后将参与者随机分配为在实验室中保持清醒过夜（睡眠不足）或在家睡觉（休息）。睡眠不足的参与者也被随机给予0、30或60分钟的小睡时间。在午睡期间，对参与者进行部分多导睡眠监测。早晨，休息的参与者返回，每个人都再次完成了UNRAVEL和PVT。

结果

睡眠剥夺增加了占位错误，尤其是在表演中断后，以及注意失误增加。短暂的午睡机会不能减轻占位或警惕的注意力缺陷。多导睡眠图数据显示，总睡眠时间与中断后的放置错误负相关。睡得更多的参与者中断后的错误更少。在不间断试验中，慢波睡眠（SWS）与注意失误和放置错误负相关；获得更多SWS的参与者发生的失误和不中断错误更少。睡眠潜伏期也与注意力下降呈负相关，因此快速入睡的参与者（更多的嗜睡指示）有更多的注意力下降。

结论

在睡眠剥夺期间短暂的小睡不是可行的干预措施，可能需要更长的小睡时间才能显现出明显的性能优势。但是，睡眠体系结构的特定方面与两项任务的性能有关，这表明由于睡眠不足导致的特定领域缺陷。

支持

海军研究办公室N00014-16-1-2841收到了资助。