Frontiers in Neuroscience (Mar 2023)

Associations between resting state brain activity and A1 adenosine receptor availability in the healthy brain: Effects of acute sleep deprivation

  • Changhong Li,
  • Changhong Li,
  • Tina Kroll,
  • Andreas Matusch,
  • Daniel Aeschbach,
  • Daniel Aeschbach,
  • Daniel Aeschbach,
  • Andreas Bauer,
  • Eva-Maria Elmenhorst,
  • Eva-Maria Elmenhorst,
  • David Elmenhorst,
  • David Elmenhorst,
  • David Elmenhorst

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3389/fnins.2023.1077597
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 17

Abstract

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IntroductionPrevious resting-state fMRI (Rs-fMRI) and positron emission tomography (PET) studies have shown that sleep deprivation (SD) affects both spontaneous brain activity and A1 adenosine receptor (A1AR) availability. Nevertheless, the hypothesis that the neuromodulatory adenosinergic system acts as regulator of the individual neuronal activity remains unexplored.MethodsTherefore, fourteen young men underwent Rs-fMRI, A1AR PET scans, and neuropsychological tests after 52 h of SD and after 14 h of recovery sleep.ResultsOur findings suggested higher oscillations or regional homogeneity in multiple temporal and visual cortices, whereas decreased oscillations in cerebellum after sleep loss. At the same time, we found that connectivity strengths increased in sensorimotor areas and decreased in subcortical areas and cerebellum.DiscussionMoreover, negative correlations between A1AR availability and rs-fMRI metrics of BOLD activity in the left superior/middle temporal gyrus and left postcentral gyrus of the human brain provide new insights into the molecular basis of neuronal responses induced by high homeostatic sleep pressure.

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