Analysis Of The Neural Correlate Changes Of Digital Working Memory In Patients With Primary Insomnia Via Functional Magnetic Resonance Images

BackgroundSleep is the normal physiological need for human, different sleep stages have their physiological functions, various reasons lead to the lack of sleep can cause the corresponding physiological function of damaged. The sleep deprivation of animals led to the ability of maze learning decrease. The study also found that sleep deprivation can active the endoplasmic reticulum and mitochondrial apoptosis process, related neurotransmitters and receptors, cytokines and so on also change. New research evidence suggests that in the resting state, compared with the normal sleep groups, take right VLPFC as the seed point to make whole brain function blinding, the PIs function blinding of the bilateral frontal, parietal lobe and the left insular lobe weakens. Take DLPFC as the seed point to make whole brain function blinding. It is found that the blinding weakens in parietal lobe, frontal lobe and insular. DLPFC is associated with the information storage of working memory, VLPFC involved in execution process of working memory, and forehead area, parietal lobe, insular etc are involved in the formation of working memory. It is suggest the decline of these functional connectivity is related with the memory decline in primary insomnia.ObjectiveTo explore the neural correlate changes of digital working memory in patients with primary insomnia via comparing functional magnetic resonance (fMRI) images between primary insomnia matched good sleepers.Methods40 primary insomnia and 50 good sleepers underwent fMRI while performing an digit working memory task by using block design, then compare the difference of accuracy and reaction time between experimental and control group, as well as the degree of activation in the digit coding, maintaining and extract processes.ResultsPrimary insomnia showed a longer response time in the task (P=0.001),although no remarkable difference in accuracy compared to good sleepers(P>0.05). Right cerebrum occipital lobe(BA18), right caudate, left putamen, left lentiform nucleus and left inferior parietal lobule(BA7) showed increased activation in the coding process, while right frontal lobe,left frontal lobe and left medial frontal gyrus showed increase activation, left superior frontal gyrus showed reduced activation in maintaining process. In extract process, right inferior frontal gyrus and post central gyrus showed increased activation while left superior temporal gyrus, left temporal lobe, left cingulum post, left frontal gyrus(BA8),left pre-central gyrus showed reduced activation.ConclusionThe cortex and sub-cortical structures participate in digit working memory in primary insomnia are widely impaired and the degree of activation changes are significant.