Sleep Med Psychophysiol.
2002 Dec;9(2):122-126.
Effects of Total Sleep Deprivation on Visual Discrimination
- Affiliations
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- 1Department of Psychiatry, Korea University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
Abstract
OBJECTIVES
The purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of the 37-hour sleep deprivation on visual discrimination using the Cybernetic Flicker Fusion Analyzer (FLIMK) and to see the correlation between this finding and various subjective scale scores.
METHODS
Twenty six subjects(20 men 6 women, 24.50+/-1.45years of age) participated in this study. Subjects remained awake for 37 hours under continuous surveillance. In the morning and evening of two study days, the FLIMK and the self-reporting scale of sleepiness, fatigue, anxiety and mood states were instituted.
RESULTS
In FLIMK, the flicker fusion threshold was significantly decreased after sleep deprivation (F=7.66, p=0.01). The number of trials (responses) before reaching fusion frequency threshold was significantly increased after sleep deprivation (F=13.16, p=0.001). The reduction of fusion frequency was correlated with the increase of sleepiness and fatigue (p<0.05), and the number of the trials was correlated with the scores of negative mood, anxiety, and fatigue(p<0.05).
CONCLUSIONS
These results suggest that 37 hour total sleep deprivation cause the decrement in visual discrimination. The decrease of the fusion frequency after sleep deprivation was correlated with sleepiness and fatigue. Further study is needed to enlighten the biological mechanism of the decrement in visual function after sleep deprivation.
