Total Sleep Deprivation enhances the brain's response to emotional faces, especially in cerebellum : an fMRI study of Young Females

Abstract

Abstract Purpose: Investigate the impact of sleep deprivation on emotional face processing in young females Methods: A self-control design involving two functional neuroimaging scans were conducted one month apart. One scan followed a typical night of sleep (SC), and the other followed a total night of sleep deprivation (TSD). Fourteen healthy young females were participants, with a mean age of 21.07±1.33 years (range 20-22 years), all in their follicular phase. They performed the face viewing task, which contains three long blocks, HAPPY-NEUTRAL block, FEAR-NEUTRAL block, and SAD-NEUTRAL block. Each block consisted of 6 groups of pictures. We evaluated the 4 emotions separately under the 2 conditions.ROI analysis was done by the SPM.marsbar toolbox. Results: Behavior results: all participants felt anxious, fatigued, and lower vigor after sleep deprivation. Imaging results (TSD>SC): When CFT was set as 3.09 (equivalent to p = 0.001), only the activation caused by NEUTRAL and SAD FACES was observed. The left cerebellum IV-VI, vermis VI, X, and cerebellum Crus 1 were significantly activated under NEUTRAL FACES. In contrast, cerebellar vermis VI and the left cerebellum Crus 1 were significantly activated under SAD FACES. No results were obtained under HAPPY FACES or FEAR FACES. Conclusion: Total sleep deprivation enhances the brain's response to NEUTRAL and SAD FACES, especially in the left cerebellum IV-VI, vermis VI, X, and cerebellum Crus 1.