0123 Sleep Duration and Cognitive Performance on the Stroop Color-Word Task and Simple Reaction Time Task. (27th May 2020)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Mullins, K M; Reynolds, A M
• Is Part Of: Sleep. Volume 43(2020)Supplement 1
• Page Start: A48
• Page End: A49
• Publication Date: 2020-05-27
• Subjects: Sleep -- Physiological aspects -- Periodicals; Sleep disorders -- Periodicals; Sommeil -- Aspect physiologique -- Périodiques; Sommeil, Troubles du -- Périodiques; Sleep disorders; Sleep -- Physiological aspects; Sleep -- physiological aspects; Sleep Wake Disorders; Psychophysiology; Electronic journals; Periodicals; 616.8498
• DOI: 10.1093/sleep/zsaa056.121
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0161-8105

Abstract

Abstract: Introduction: Studies examining sleep factors and cognition suggest that sleep impacts cognitive performance in college students. The focus of the current study was to examine normal sleep patterns in college-aged students and how their sleep affected their cognitive performance. Methods: Participants were 51 undergraduate students (18 males), average age M=20.25 (SD=1.78) years, who wore actigraph watches to measure their sleep. After one week, participants completed the Multidimensional Assessment of Fatigue (MAF) to assess fatigue and performed a series of cognitive tasks on the computer, including the Stroop Color-Word test. Participants responded to the color of the word presented on the screen instead of the word itself. Stimuli where the color and word did not match were considered incongruent stimuli. Participants also performed a simple reaction time task, where they reacted to an "X" stimulus on the screen. Results: Mean sleep efficiency was 82.55% (SD=5.70), mean sleep duration was 6.59 hours (SD=79.19 minutes), and the mean MAF score was 21.17 (SD= 7.64). A Pearson correlation indicated a significant negative association between sleep duration and Stroop congruent errors r(49) = -.467, p = .001. Furthermore, a Pearson correlation indicated a significant positive association between sleep duration and incongruent reaction time, r(49)= .290, p= .039 and a significant positive association between sleep duration and simple reaction time, r(49)= .277, p= .049. MAF scores were positively correlated with simple reaction times, r(49)= .376, p=.008. Sleep efficiency was not correlated with any of the cognitive measures. Conclusion: As expected, participants' sleep was short and inefficient. Results were expected in that participants made fewer errors with increased sleep, but, unexpectedly, reaction times also increased with more sleep. Fatigue may have played a role in this relationship. It is important to continue this research in order to learn more about sleep factors and cognitive function in college students. Support: None