- Sleep deprivation is generally known to have a negative impact on mood, but a new study has found a paradoxical effect.
- The research revealed that a single night of complete sleep deprivation led to increased connectivity between the amygdala and the anterior cingulate cortex in the brain, resulting in improved mood in certain individuals, including those with major depressive disorder.
- The findings suggest that understanding this brain connectivity could provide potential targets for interventions in depression treatment and shed light on the relationship between sleep and mood regulation.
In a new study published in PNAS, researchers utilized resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (RS fMRI) to map brain activity in specific regions, aiming to understand why certain individuals experience a positive mood enhancement after a period of sleep deprivation despite most people generally experiencing a negative impact.
Lack of sleep is a widespread problem that negatively affects the mood and well-being of billions of people worldwide.
According to the researchers, sleep deprivation can actually lead to a rapid and significant improvement in mood for some individuals with depression.
To investigate why this happens, they looked at how certain parts of the brain are affected by sleep deprivation in people with and without depression.
They focused on the amygdala, which is involved in controlling emotions, and the dorsal nexus (DN), which is important for regulating mood in people with depression.
They discovered that the amygdala, an important brain region involved in depression, is influenced by a lack of sleep.
This new research demonstrates that a single night of total sleep deprivation strengthens the connectivity between the amygdala and the anterior cingulate cortex, which is associated with improved mood in both individuals without depression and those with the condition.
The researchers used RS fMRI, allowing them to see how different brain regions are…
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