0228 Sleep Deprivation Increases Placekeeping Errors

Abstract

Introduction: Placekeeping is the ability to perform a task involving multiple sequential steps without repeating or skipping steps (i.e. stitching a wound). Working memory, cognitive control, and attention are necessary for successful placekeeping. Sleep deprivation reduces attention but the extent to which sleep deprivation affects working memory and cognitive control remains unclear. Successful performance in these tasks (working memory, cognitive control, and placekeeping) requires maintenance processes that keep task-relevant representations available. However, it is also unclear how sleep deprivation affects maintenance processes. The current study investigated how sleep deprivation affected maintenance processes within a placekeeping task. Ongoing research is investigating how caffeine may mitigate the effects of sleep deprivation on placekeeping ability. Methods: We tested the effect of 24-hours of sleep deprivation on a placekeeping task, UNRAVEL. The task requires participants to complete a series of steps, indicated by the acronym UNRAVEL. Periodically, participants are interrupted and must continue the sequence post-interruption. In the evening, participants completed UNRAVEL and were then randomly assigned to either stay awake in the laboratory overnight or to sleep at home. In the morning, participants again completed UNRAVEL. Results: Compared to well-rested participants, sleep deprived participants were more likely to show a breakdown in placekeeping performance; that is, they were unable to maintain a minimal level of accuracy. Sleep deprived participants with acceptable accuracy still made more errors by repeating or skipping steps than well-rested participants. To test maintenance processes, trials immediately following an interruption were analyzed separately. Sleep deprived participants were especially prone to making errors after an interruption and progressively made more errors as time on task continued. Conclusion: Although the effect of sleep deprivation on higher order cognition has been disputed in the literature, the current study suggests that sleep deprivation not only impairs attention, but also placekeeping ability and aspects of working memory and cognitive control, specifically the maintenance processes that retain task-relevant representations during an interruption.