Effects of sleep deprivation on performance and EEG spectral analysis in young adults

Nine totally sleep deprived (TSD) and nine control subjects were evaluated with a complete battery for attention and memory performance. Frontal and t emporal EEGs (5 min, eyes closed) were also recorded before and after the n ight. TSD subjects exhibited these performance deficits: learning the Pursu it Rotor Task, implicit recall of paired words, and distractibility on the Brown-Peterson Test. Relative to evening recordings, control subjects showe d decreased morning absolute powers in all electrodes for all frequencies e xcept For Frontal delta; TSD subjects showed increased Frontal and Temporal theta and Frontal beta. These results show that motor procedural, implicit memory, and working memory are sensitive to one night of TSD, and that Fro ntal and Temporal theta spectral power seem to discriminate between a night with sleep from a night without. (C) 2000 Academic Press.