Objectives: The purpose of this study is to investigate the psychophysiological effects of total sleep deprivation by using auditory event-related potentials. Methods: Twenty four healthy college students (18 men, 6 women) participated in this study. ...
Objectives: The purpose of this study is to investigate the psychophysiological effects of total sleep deprivation by using auditory event-related potentials. Methods: Twenty four healthy college students (18 men, 6 women) participated in this study. The subjects remained awake for 37 hours under continuous surveillance. In the morning and the evening of two consecutive study days, auditory event-related potentials were checked. Results: The latencies of P300 and N200 were significantly prolonged (p<0.001) and their amplitudes decreased (p<0.05) as a consequence of sleep deprivation. The amplitude of P200 was significantly increased during sleep deprivation (p<0.05). However, there was no significant change in the latency and amplitude of N100. Conclusion: Among the components of auditory event-related potentials, P300 and N200 are good indicators of sleep-deprived status. Further investigation is necessary to elucidate the neurophysiological mechanisms of these findings.