Effect of Sleep Deprivation on Cognitive Function Among Cardiology Fellows

Overview

A reliable method for monitoring sleep, stress, and burnout among cardiology fellows is critically needed. To address this gap, our team aims to utilize the cost-effective WHOOP strap 4.0 wearable device to continuously capture stress-relevant physiologic data (i.e., sleep hours, heart rate variability, respiration rate, resting heart rate) among up to 21 Cardiology Fellows Thomas Jefferson University Hospital for 6 months.

Conventional methods of qualifying personal wellbeing are limited by poor insight about the emotional and behavioral corollaries of stress and burnout (e.g., depersonalization, sleep alterations, heart rate variability). While self-care is often the preferred option for those coping with stress or burnout in challenging situations, it may be the only option in low-resource settings with limited access to professional management. Similarly, many healthcare workers and trainees acknowledge that self-care is a critical component to overall wellbeing, yet they also admit that multiple barriers interfere with the effectiveness of this practice. First, self-care interventions can only be effective if impacted persons recognize the need for interventions, act on that need, and learn which methods are effective on an individual basis. Furthermore, testing modalities (e.g., hormonal assays, polysomnography, electrophysiology) for stress and its downstream syndrome of burnout not only are prohibitively expensive, but they also require significant time and cannot be broadly disseminated within reasonable limits. As such, approaches for monitoring parameters of wellness are critically needed, and if successful, those data can allow for streamlined mental health interventions for those completing fellowship training before symptoms of burnout escalate further. Aim 1: To determine whether physiologic metrics of sleep and heart rate variability correlate with executive function metrics post 12- or 24-hour call in a 12-month period. Hypothesis: Less total sleep hours will correlate with lower scores on executive function testing (Stroop test). Aim 2: To determine the physiologic effects of sleep deprivation from 12- and 24-hour call on heart rate variability, REM sleep, deep sleep and respiratory rate, over a 12-month period. Hypothesis: Less total and restorative (REM and deep sleep) will correlate with lower executive function scores and higher call burden (frequency and duration) will be associated with a prolonged return to baseline in sleep metrics (total sleep, REM sleep, deep sleep, sleep consistency).

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Eligibility

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