Sleep deprivation has been shown to exacerbate pain sensitivity and may contribute to the onset of chronic pain, yet the precise neural mechanisms underlying this association remain elusive. In our study, we explored the contribution of cholinergic neurons within the medial habenula (MHb) to hyperalgesia induced by sleep deprivation in rats. Our findings indicate that the activity of MHb cholinergic neurons diminishes during sleep deprivation and that chemogenetic stimulation of these neurons can mitigate the results. Interestingly, we did not find a direct response of MHb cholinergic neurons to pain stimulation. Further investigation identified the interpeduncular nucleus (IPN) and the paraventricular nucleus of the thalamus (PVT) as key players in the pro-nociceptive effect of sleep deprivation. Stimulating the pathways connecting the MHb to the IPN and PVT alleviated the hyperalgesia. These results underscore the important role of MHb cholinergic neurons in modulating pain sensitivity linked to sleep deprivation, highlighting potential neural targets for mitigating sleep deprivation-induced hyperalgesia.
Animals ; Habenula/physiology* ; Sleep Deprivation/physiopathology* ; Cholinergic Neurons/physiology* ; Male ; Hyperalgesia/physiopathology* ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Rats ; Interpeduncular Nucleus/physiology* ; Pain Threshold/physiology* ; Midline Thalamic Nuclei/physiology* ; Neural Pathways/physiopathology*

BACKGROUNDSleep deprivation (SD) has been used in treatment of depression disorder, and could effectively improve the patients' depressive symptoms.The aim of the study was to explore the effects of SD on electroencephalographic (EEG) and executive function changes in patients with depression.

METHODSEighteen depression patients (DPs) and 21 healthy controls (HCs) were enrolled in the present study. The whole night polysomnography (PSG) was recorded by Neurofax-1518K (Nihon Kohden, Japan) system before and after 36 hours of SD. The level of subjects' depression state was assessed by Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), and the executive function was assessed by Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST).

RESULTSSignificantly decreased sleep latency (SL; before SD: (31.8 ± 11.1) minutes, after SD: (8.8 ± 5.2) minutes, P < 0.01) and REM sleep latency (RL; before SD: (79.8 ± 13.5) minutes, after SD: (62.9 ± 10.2) minutes, P < 0.01) were found after SD PSG in depression patients. Decreased Stage 1 (S1; before SD: (11.7 ± 2.9)%, after SD: (7.3 ± 1.1)%, P < 0.01) and Stage 2 (S2, before SD: (53.8 ± 15.5)%, after SD: (42.3 ± 14.7)%, P < 0.05) of non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep, and increased Stage 3 (S3, before SD: (11.8 ± 5.5)%, after SD: (23.6 ± 5.8)%, P < 0.01) and Stage 4 (S4, before SD: (8.8 ± 3.3)%, after SD: (27.4 ± 4.8)%, P < 0.01) NREM sleep were also found. After SD, the depression level in patients decreased from 6.7 ± 2.1 to 2.9 ± 0.7 (P < 0.01). In WCST, the patients showed significantly decreased Response errors (Re, before SD: 22.3 ± 2.4, after SD: 18.3 ± 2.7, P < 0.01) and Response preservative errors (Rpe, before SD: 11.6 ± 3.6, after SD: 9.3 ± 2.9, P < 0.05). Depression patients' RE (t = 2.17, P < 0.05) and Rpe (t = 2.96, P < 0.01) also decreased significantly compared to healthy controls.

CONCLUSIONSD can improve depression symptom and executive function in depression patients.

Adult ; Depression ; physiopathology ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Polysomnography ; methods ; Sleep Deprivation ; physiopathology

OBJECTIVETo explore the impact of 36-hour sleep deprivation (SD) on the brain electrophysiological indicators of visuo-motor coupling in young soldiers.

METHODSDuring the 36-hour SD, 10 healthy young soldiers were tested on visuospatial rotation tasks by event-related potentials system before and after SD. The incubation period and amplitude of P500 as well as their error number and reaction time were measured.

RESULTSCompared with subjects in SD 0-hour,subjects in SD 36-hour had significantly increased error rate [(9.7 ± 3.9)% vs. (18.3 ± 4.5)%, P<0.05] and significantly increased reaction time [(632.5 ± 53.6) ms vs. (693.6 ± 65.7) ms, P < 0.05]. Subjects in SD 36-hour showed significantly reduced amplitudes than those in SD 0-hour [(8.7 ± 2.3) ΜV vs. (5.2 ± 1.6) ΜV, P < 0.05]. Additionally, subjects in SD 36-hour showed significantly increased P500 latencies than did those in SD 0-hour [(489.6 ± 42.6) ms vs .(530.2 ± 51.9) ms, P < 0.05]. Compared with subjects in SD 0-hour, the deficit was an absence of a mental rotation function SD 36-hour in subjects.

CONCLUSIONSThe 36-hour SD in young soldiers can harm the processing mechanism of visuo-motor coupling in a certain extent. SD can affect the fixed position ability of visual space cognition in young soldiers.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Evoked Potentials ; Feedback, Sensory ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Military Personnel ; Reaction Time ; Sleep Deprivation ; physiopathology ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVETo discuss the central modulating mechanism of Sanyinjiao (SP 6) and the amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation (ALFF) differences of the functional brain regions between SP 6 and sham acupoint.

METHODSSixteen volunteers accepted right Sanyinjiao (SP 6) (SP 6 group) or right sham (sham group) acupuncture for two times after 24 h sleep deprivation (SD), there was two weeks between two acupunctures. The needle was retained for 4 minutes and the brain fMRI scanning was performed by 3.0 TMR every time. The ALFF consequent data was processed by REST. One-sample t-test and two-pair t-test were performed by SPM5.

RESULTSSP 6 group mainly caused ALFF change in inferior parietal lobule, posterior cingulated while sham group in precuneus, posterior cingulated. SP 6 group increased ALFF in left fusiform temporal gyrus, medial frontal gyrus with no decreased regions compared with sham group.

CONCLUSIONSRetaining needle dose influence the activity of the brain region during resting-state in both group, especially the mood-related regions. And its mechanism is probably that the relevant effect is carried out by regulating function to target organs of complex brain network comprised of relevant functional center and related brain region. There are differences between SP 6 and Sham acupoint.

Acupuncture Points ; Acupuncture Therapy ; Brain ; diagnostic imaging ; physiopathology ; Female ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Male ; Radiography ; Sleep Deprivation ; diagnostic imaging ; physiopathology ; therapy ; Young Adult

Animals ; Glutamine ; blood ; metabolism ; Male ; Physical Conditioning, Animal ; physiology ; Physical Exertion ; physiology ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Sleep Deprivation ; metabolism ; physiopathology ; Thymus Gland ; metabolism ; Time Factors

Animals ; Extinction, Psychological ; physiology ; Fear ; physiology ; Male ; Mental Recall ; physiology ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Sleep Deprivation ; complications ; physiopathology ; Sleep, REM ; physiology

PURPOSE: In our previous study to investigate autonomic nervous system (ANS) activity due to radio frequency (RF) radiation using heart rate variability (HRV), drowsiness was observed in approximately half of all subjects. Therefore, the usage of HRV with unwanted drowsiness could falsely indicate the effects of RF radiation by mobile phones on the ANS. The objective of this study was to determine which posture is appropriate for accurate HRV analysis for provocation study. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 52 healthy subjects (25 males and 27 females) participated in this experiment. We measured the number of times a subject showed drowsiness or sleep deprivation due to awakening, and analyzed HRV six times over 30 minutes in sitting and recumbent postures, using power spectrum. RESULTS: We employed the ratio of low frequency power to high frequency power (LFP/HFP) to analyze the changes in the ANS. The number of sleep deprivation occurrences in the sitting posture was significantly less than that in the recumbent posture (p<0.01), resulting in smaller increase of LFP/HFP. Although LFP/HFP of the two postures varied with time without any provocation, it was more stable in sitting than in recumbent postures. CONCLUSION: A sitting posture is preferable to a recumbent posture for analyzing HRV, because of decreased drowsiness and sleep deprivation, thereby decreasing variation of LFP/HFP during experiment. Considering the drowsiness, it is also recommended that any experiment should be completed within 15 minutes, if possible.
Adult ; *Electromagnetic Fields ; Female ; Heart Rate/*radiation effects ; Humans ; Male ; *Posture ; Sleep Deprivation/*physiopathology

Animals ; Disease Models, Animal ; Sleep Deprivation ; physiopathology ; psychology

OBJECTIVEThe effects of sleep deprivation on the immature brain remain unknown. Based on a computer controlled chronic sleep deprivation animal model, the effects of chronic partial sleep deprivation on growth, learning and memory in young rats were explored.

METHODSTwelve weaned male Spraque-Dawley rats (3-week-old) were randomly divided into sleep deprivation, test control and blank control groups. Sleep deprivation was performed using computer-controlled "disc-over-water" technique at 8-11 am daily, for 14 days. The temperature and weights were measured every 7 days. Morris water maze was used to test spatial learning and memory abilities before and 7 and 14 days after sleep deprivation. After 14 days of sleep deprivation, the rats were sacrificed for weighting their major organs.

RESULTSAfter 14 days of sleep deprivation, the rats' temperature increased significantly. During the sleep deprivation, the rate of weight gain in the sleep deprivation group was much slower than that in the test control and blank control groups. The thymus of the rats subjected to sleep deprivation was much lighter than that of the blank control group. After 7 days of sleep deprivation, the rats showed slower acquisition of reference memory, but were capable of successfully performing the task by repeated exposure to the test. Such impairment of reference memory was not seen 14 days after sleep deprivation.

CONCLUSIONSChronic sleep deprivation can affect growth of immature rats, as well as their abilities to acquire spatial reference memory.

Animals ; Body Temperature ; Body Weight ; Growth ; Learning ; Male ; Memory ; Organ Size ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Sleep Deprivation ; physiopathology ; psychology

Animals ; Avoidance Learning ; physiology ; Cues ; Extinction, Psychological ; physiology ; Fear ; physiology ; Male ; Mental Recall ; physiology ; Rats ; Sleep Deprivation ; physiopathology ; Sleep, REM ; physiology