Age-related Changes in Sleep-wake Regulation

University of Zurich29 enrolled

Overview

A sleep deprivation protocol combined with state-of-the-art, simultaneous positron emission tomography and magnetic resonance spectroscopy imaging will be employed to investigate the effects of sleep deprivation and aging on hypothesized molecular markers of sleep need.

Study Type

INTERVENTIONAL

Allocation

NON_RANDOMIZED

Purpose

BASIC_SCIENCE

Masking

NONE

Enrollment

Conditions

Sleep Deprivation

Interventions

Prolonged wakefulnessBEHAVIORAL

40 hours of prolonged wakefulness

Eligibility

Sex: MALEMin age: 20 YearsMax age: 70 YearsHealthy volunteers:

Medical Language ↔ Plain English

Inclusion Criteria: * healthy male individuals * age: 20-35 or 60-70 years * right-handed * non-smokers * moderate caffeine/alcohol consumption * normal BMI Exclusion Criteria: * Sleep/circadian rhythms disturbances * former brain injuries with loss of consciousness and brain anomalies * drug intake/consumption * medication intake * cardiac pacemaker * neurological disorders * prior participation (during past 2 years) in radiological or nuclear experiment

Outcomes

Primary Outcomes

Sleep-wake induced change in cerebral availability of mGluR5 (metabotropic glutamate receptors of subtype 5)

Positron emission tomography

Time frame: Change from baseline metabotropic glutamate receptors of subtype 5 availability after 33 hours of prolonged wakefulness and 8 hours of recovery sleep

Secondary Outcomes

Sleep-wake induced change in glutamate concentration in prefrontal cortex and basal ganglia

Magnetic resonance spectroscopy

Time frame: Change from baseline glutamate concentration after 33 hours of prolonged wakefulness and 8 hours of recovery sleep

Sleep-wake induced change in potential molecular markers of sleep need

microRNAs, fragile X mental retardation protein, and brain-derived neurotrophic factor concentrations in peripheral blood

Time frame: Change from baseline microRNA, fragile X mental retardation protein and brain-derived neurotrophic factor concentrations after 33 hours of prolonged wakefulness and 8 hours of recovery sleep

Sleep-wake induced change in sleep electroencephalogram (EEG)

Spectral composition of the EEG during sleep

Time frame: Change from all-night baseline sleep EEG in 8 hours of recovery sleep after 33 hours of prolonged wakefulness

Sleep-wake induced change in waking electroencephalogram (EEG)

Spectral composition of the EEG in wakefulness

Time frame: Change from baseline waking EEG during 33 hours of prolonged wakefulness and after 8 hours of recovery sleep

Sleep-wake induced change in subjective state

Subjective sleepiness as quantified with the Stanford Sleepiness Scale (range: 1 to 7)

Data from ClinicalTrials.gov

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