0403 Functional Connectivity of Brain Networks Predicts Polysomnographically Measured Sleep

Abstract

Abstract Introduction The arousal hypothesis predicts that increased cognitive and somatic arousal interfere with sleep among patients with insomnia. Evidence suggests that the connectivity of the brain’s default mode network (DMN) may play an important role in this process. Here, we examined the association between whole cortex resting state functional connectivity and subsequent polysomnographically (PSG) assessed sleep the same night in a sleep laboratory among individuals with documented insomnia. Methods We collected data from twenty participants (12 female; age=26.9, SD=6.6 years) meeting criteria for insomnia/sleep disorder. Each participant completed a baseline resting state functional connectivity (rsFC) scan in the early evening and then retired to their own private bedroom in a sleep laboratory. Participants were monitored throughout the night with polysomnography and evaluated for various sleep parameters. Data were analyzed using the CONN Toolbox, v17f. Total Sleep Time from PSG was extracted and entered as a covariate into the whole brain connectivity analysis. Connectivity across the regions identified in the Automated Anatomical Labeling Atlas was assessed using the ROI-to-ROI analysis approach, with a peak signal threshold of p < .001 (uncorrected) and False-Discovery-Rate (FDR) correction seed level correction. We focused on the anterior and posterior medial regions of the DMN. Results The analysis showed that TST was significantly negatively correlated with numerous regions throughout the brain (p<.05, FDR corrected), while there were no regions of positive connectivity. Consistent with our hypothesis, we found that greater TST was associated with anticorrelated activation between the anterior cingulate cortex and regions associated with language processing (i.e., Heschl’s gyrus), sensory motor function (precentral and postcentral gyri), superior temporal gyrus, parietal occipital gyrus, temporal pole, and occipital cortex. Conclusion Findings suggest that the connectivity of the anterior DMN with language, sensory, motor, and emotional processing regions is related to subsequent PSG measured sleep. Prior work has suggested that stronger anticorrelations between the DMN and task-positive regions is associated with better cognitive performance. Our findings also suggest that stronger anticorrelations between the anterior DMN and these other cortical regions are highly related to sleep among individuals with insomnia. Support (if any) W81XWH2010173