Tired and Apprehensive: Anxiety Amplifies the Impact of Sleep Loss on Aversive Brain Anticipation

• DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.5578-12.2013
• Publication Date: 2013-06-26T16:20:50Z
• Authors: A. N. Goldstein; S. M. Greer; J. M. Saletin; A. G. Harvey; J. B. Nitschke; M. P. Walker
• Keywords: Anticipation (artificial intelligence); Sleep

Anticipation is an adaptive process, aiding preparatory responses to potentially threatening events. However, excessive anticipatory responding and associated hyper-reactivity in the amygdala insula are integral anxiety disorders. Despite co-occurrence of sleep disruption disorders, impact loss on affective brain mechanisms, interaction with anxiety, remains unknown. Here, we demonstrate that amplifies preemptive anterior during anticipation humans, especially for cues high predictive certainty. Furthermore, trait significantly determined degree such neural vulnerability loss: individuals highest showed greatest increase activity when deprived. Together, these data support a neuropathological model which may contribute maintenance and/or exacerbation through its function. They further raise therapeutic possibility targeted restoration ameliorate clinical symptomatology.