Disentangling specific inhibitory versus general decision-making processes during sleep deprivation using a Go/NoGo ERP paradigm

Abstract

This study used a Go/NoGo ERP paradigm in which Go and NoGo stimuli occurred rarely and equally often in an attempt to determine if sleep deprivation has a general effect on decision-making or a more specific effect on inhibition. A Go/NoGo task was administered six times to eleven participants during 36 h of sleep deprivation and once again post recovery sleep. In the Go condition, the participant was asked to respond to the rare stimulus. In the separate NoGo condition, the participant was asked to withhold the response to the rare stimulus. ERPs were recorded to the rare stimuli. The NoGo P3 should be attenuated if sleep loss mainly affects inhibitory processes. Both Go and NoGo P3 should be attenuated if sleep loss affects general detection processes. During sleep loss, accuracy decreased for both tasks. RT also gradually increased for the Go task. Performance during the NoGo task was more complex and was better accounted by a speed-accuracy trade-off. Overall, findings indicate that sleep deprivation did not have specific effects on inhibition. However, the amplitude of the Go P3 occurred as early as 12 h after waking and might reflect an effect of task repetition rather than true sleep deprivation. In contrast, the NoGo P3 amplitude was not significantly reduced until after 24 and 36 h of wakefulness, suggesting a true sleep deprivation effect. Both Go and NoGo P3 post recovery sleep did not return to baseline levels, possibly due to residual sleep inertia.