Total sleep deprivation impairs visual selective attention and triggers a compensatory effect: evidence from event-related potentials

Many studies have demonstrated the impairment of sustained attention due to total sleep deprivation (TSD). However, it remains unclear whether and how TSD affects the processing of visual selective attention. In the current study, 24 volunteers performed a visual search task before and after TSD over a period of 36 h while undergoing spontaneous electroencephalography. Paired-sample t-tests of behavioral performance revealed that, compared with baseline values, the participants showed lower accuracy and higher variance in response time in visual search tasks performed after TSD. Analysis of the event-related potentials (ERPs) showed that the mean amplitude of the N2-posterior-contralateral (N2pc) difference wave after TSD was less negative than that at baseline and the mean amplitude of P3 after TSD was more positive than that at baseline. Our findings suggest that TSD significantly attenuates attentional direction/orientation processing and triggers a compensatory effect in the parietal brain to partially offset the impairments. These findings provide new evidence and improve our understanding of the effects of sleep loss.

Automated summary

Numerous studies have shown that total sleep deprivation (TSD) impairs sustained attention. However, it is still unclear whether TSD affects the processing of visual selective attention. In this study, participants performed a visual search task before and after TSD, and the results revealed a decrease in accuracy and an increase in response time variability after TSD. Further analysis of event-related potentials (ERPs) indicated changes in brain activity after TSD. These findings provide new evidence and insights into the effects of sleep loss on visual attention.