Sleep Deprivation Effects

A study using lab animals, in 2002, showed that REM (rapid eye movement) sleep was needed to shut down neurotransmitters, which allowed their receptors to regain sensitivity upon resting. This facilitated the natural production of brain chemicals (monoamines) such as serotonin, norepinephrine and histamine. These chemicals are mood regulators and can also increase learning ability. This study concluded that REM sleep deprivation may help patients suffering from clinical depression since this situation will reflect the activity of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). But it should be noted that while sleep that occurs outside of REM sleep may repair brain cell damage initiated by free radicals, the complete lack of sleep will damage the enzymes, themselves. This was the first study that demonstrated the relationship between sleep deprivation and brain damage in laboratory rats. Animal studies have also shown that sleep deprivation increases levels of stress hormones.

In 2005, a study was conducted which demonstrated that a group of rats that had been deprived of REM sleep for 5 days did not show an effect on their ability to recover from inflicted wounds, when compared to a group of non-REM deprived sleep subjects.

Although there are several related effects of sleep deprivation, the most significant consequence is loss of attention. Attention deficit can take the form of forgetfulness, when performing routine tasks. An example of this would be forgetting to add an ingredient when preparing a meal to forgetting to activate a turn signal, when driving a vehicle. This can literally translate into a life-or-death scenario which may involve a construction or traffic accident that may come about as a result of sleep deprivation.

These effects are studied by using a test known as the psychomotor vigilance task. In this test, the researcher will require the test subject to press a button when a light is activated, at seemingly random intervals. Errors are recorded when the subject has failed to press the button when the light stimulus was activated. These missed opportunities are attributed to instances of micro-sleeps which will manifest as a result of sleep deprivation.

Please note that this article is for informational purposes only and is not intended as legal advice.

You can find further detailed information, by visiting the El Paso, Texas Accident Page and contacting truck accident lawyers Todd Elias and Steven J. Gordon – located in Houston, Texas.