Brain Sciences (Apr 2024)

Olfactory Epithelium Stimulation Using Rhythmic Nasal Air-Puffs Improves the Cognitive Performance of Individuals with Acute Sleep Deprivation

  • Hanieh Riazi,
  • Milad Nazari,
  • Mohammad Reza Raoufy,
  • Javad Mirnajafi-Zadeh,
  • Amir Shojaei

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci14040378
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 14, no. 4
p. 378

Abstract

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This study aimed to investigate the effects of intranasal air-puffing on cognitive impairments and brain cortical activity following one night of partial sleep deprivation (PSD) in adults. A total of 26 healthy adults underwent the numerical Stroop test (NST) and electroencephalography (EEG) before and after one night of PSD. Following PSD, subjects in the treatment group (n = 13) received nasal air-puffs (5 Hz, 3 min) before beginning the NST and EEG recording. Administration of nasal air-puffs in the treatment group restored the PSD-induced increase in error rate and decrease in reaction time and missing rate in the NST. Intranasal air-puffs recovered the PSD-induced augmentation of delta and theta power and the reduction of beta and gamma power in the EEG, particularly in the frontal lobes. Intranasal air-puffing also almost reversed the PSD-induced decrease in EEG signal complexity. Furthermore, it had a restorative effect on PSD-induced alteration in intra-default mode network functional connectivity in the beta and gamma frequency bands. Rhythmic nasal air-puffing can mitigate acute PSD-induced impairments in cognitive functions. It exerts part of its ameliorating effect by restoring neuronal activity in cortical brain areas involved in cognitive processing.

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