AN INVESTIGATIVE STUDY OF THE NEUROPSYCHOLOGICAL AND NEUROPHYSIOLOGICAL FEATURES OF SUBJECTIVE SLEEP QUALITY

Abstract

Background: Disordered sleep is a national health issue affecting an estimated 50-70 million US adults. The documented consequences of disordered sleep include impaired daily function, increased risk for chronic health conditions, and greater morbidity. To abate the deleterious consequences and to better understand the development and maintenance of disordered sleep, researchers have attempted to study the influence of emotional, cognitive, and behavioral features of sleep and sleep-related behaviors. Purpose: The purpose of the present study was to explore the neurophysiological and neuropsychological features of subjective sleep quality to conceptualize disordered sleep within various existing theoretical models. Methods: Participants were 75 University undergraduate students enrolled in introductory psychology and neuroscience classes across several semesters (Age: 18-39, M = 20.15, SD = 3.01; 67% Female). Participants were asked to complete a series of self-report inventories assessing personality, mood, affect, and sleep behavior. Next, participants underwent neurophysiological investigation (via encephalographic recordings) with the purpose of establishing a measurement of baseline cortical asymmetry and recording of event-related potentials during a modified oddball task. Finally, participants completed the Psychomotor Vigilance Task (PVT) as a measure of neuropsychological functioning. Results: Correlational analyses and regression models highlighted the significant contribution of personality, affect, and mood, to subjective sleep quality. Specifically, poorer sleepers reported higher levels of self-reported negative personality traits (e.g., neuroticism and behavioral inhibition), affect and mood in addition to being more likely to endorse more dysfunctional beliefs and attitudes about sleep. When considering neuropsychological performance on a psychomotor vigilance task, poorer sleepers had slower reaction times and made more errors. However, there were no significant neurophysiological findings relating to subjective sleep quality. Discussion: Findings were reviewed within the context of various theoretical models including the reinforcement sensitivity, stimulus control, cognitive, and neurocognitive models of disordered sleep. Implications for future research and clinical practice are discussed.