Impact of Resveratrol on Neurovascular Coupling Following Acute Sleep Restriction in Young Men and Women

Background: Chronic exposure to shortened sleep is associated with increased risk of Alzheimer’s disease and dementia. Data from our group show acute sleep restriction (4 hours-time in bed) impairs the link between neural activity ( i.e., neurovascular coupling, NVC) and cerebral blood flow. Nitric oxide has been postulated as an important mechanism in the NVC response. Insufficient sleep increases reactive oxygen species production and reduces nitric oxide bioavailability within the cerebral vasculature. Resveratrol, a polyphenol with known antioxidant properties, reduces oxidative stress and improves vascular function. The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of resveratrol on NVC following acute sleep restriction. We hypothesized NVC following acute sleep restriction would be improved with acute oral resveratrol supplementation. Methods: Thirteen young adults (7M/6F, 28±7 y, 25±4 kg/m 2 ) completed two morning visits following a night of normal (431±57 min) or restricted sleep (240±13 min). Posterior cerebral artery velocity (PCAv, transcranial Doppler ultrasound) was measured at rest and during five trials consisting of a period of eyes closed (30-sec), followed by eyes open (40-sec) while being challenged with a validated visual search paradigm (Where’s Waldo). Trials were completed prior to and 45 min following oral resveratrol administration (250mg). NVC was assessed as the peak change in PCAv from baseline during the first 30-sec of visual stimulation. Results: Baseline PCAv was unchanged following sleep restriction (normal sleep: 27±6 cm/s; restricted sleep: 28±5 cm/s; p=0.87), whereas the peak change in PCAv during the visual stimulus was reduced following sleep restriction (normal sleep: 12±4 cm/s; restricted sleep: 9±4 cm/s; p=0.03). The PCAv peak response to visual stimulation was unaffected by resveratrol under normal sleep conditions (control: 12±4 cm/s; resveratrol: 10±4 cm/s; p=0.26), while the PCAv peak response to visual stimulation increased following resveratrol supplementation on the restricted sleep visit (control: 9±4 cm/s; resveratrol: 11±5 cm/s; p=0.01), Conclusion: These preliminary data demonstrate that one night of restricted sleep impairs NVC of the PCA during a visual stimulus test which can be restored with acute oral resveratrol supplementation. This enhances our mechanistic understanding of the sleep-associated impairments in NVC, and advances our knowledge of neurovascular dysfunction that occurs following restricted sleep. University of Missouri Nutrition and Exercise Physiology This abstract was presented at the American Physiology Summit 2025 and is only available in HTML format. There is no downloadable file or PDF version. The Physiology editorial board was not involved in the peer review process.