Alterations in Spatial Working Memory and Brain Activity following 24h of Acute Sleep Deprivation in Healthy Men: A Resting-State fMRI Study

Motivation: The precise neural mechanisms through which SD induces spatial working memory impairment are currently the subject of ongoing investigation. Goal(s): The purpose is to investigate the causes of spatial working memory deficits in subjects following SD. Approach: we employed a combination of ROCFT and rs-fMRI. Results: We observed elevated ALFF and ReHo in the Precuneus_L, ParaHippocampal_R, Postcentral_R, and Temporal_Mid_L regions, as well as reduced ReHo in the bilateral Frontal_Sup regions. Furthermore, we identified a negative correlation between the ReHo of Temporal_Mid_L and the duration of the 30min delayed recall, suggesting that these changes may contribute to the impaired spatial working memory following SD. Impact: The alterations in ALFF and ReHo after SD point to potential underlying mechanism for spatial working memory impairment. These findings offer promising avenues for future research aimed at elucidating the intricate neural mechanisms responsible for SD-induced spatial working memory deficits.