Sleep Restriction and the Adolescent Brain
Brain networks that differed after a night of normal sleep (8 hours) compared with a night of restricted sleep (4 hours).
Funded by Auburn University (Intramural Grants Program)
Sleep Disruptions and Risk in Adolescence: Physiological Underpinnings
El-Sheikh, M. (Co-PI)
4/1/2014 – 3/31/2016
The Study
To investigate effects of short sleep on the developing brain, we examined the neurophysiological consequences of a single night of sleep restriction in adolescents (ages 13 to 15) using ultra-high field (7T) functional neuroimaging and a crossover within-subjects design.
Key Findings
Brain regions involved in the default mode and limbic regulatory centers were disrupted following sleep restriction (4 hours) compared with “normal” sleep (8 hours). In addition, we found atypical functional connectivity patterns in fronto-limbic circuitry following sleep restriction. Findings suggest that even a single night of short sleep can have detrimental effects on key brain regions associated with learning, attention and emotional processes, and identify a potential pathophysiological mechanism underlying the effects of sleep restriction in adolescents.
