O sono e as funções executivas

: o funcionamento executivo em sujeitos em privação crónica de sono após descanso e após um turno noturno

Abstract

The chronic sleep deprivation as a result of shift work affects as a whole the human cognition, but specifically the executive functioning resulting in a decrease on the ability to adapt and improve the human conduct. The present paper has as a goal to describe the performance differences in executive tasks (i.e. working memory, attention, planning, cognitive flexibility and decision making) after a rest period and after a night shift. Sixty nurses (22 ≥ age ≤ 37) currently working by shifts including the night shift were recruited and divided into two experimental groups with each group undergoing two moments of trial evaluation. The group 1 (n=30) was first evaluated after a rest period and then after a night shift. The group 2 was first evaluated after a night shift and then after a rest period. The experimental protocol is composed of: Frontal Assessment Battery, Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index and to evaluate each of the above components we used: Sequence of letters and numbers of the WAIS-III, Stroop Test, Porteus Maze Test, Wisconsin Card Sorting Test and Iowa Gambling Task, respectively. For the statistical analysis we used the SPSS 20. It was possible to identify statistically significant differences (p= 0,011) on the number of words read (incongruent situation) in the Stoop Test and the number of perseverative errors committed on Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (p=0,045), between the two moments of evaluation. It was also possible to identify the influence of factor number of years working on the performances assessed (p=0,0027). In conclusion, it was possible to identify cognitive performance differences depending on the phase of the work journey, with each executive component showing a specific degree of vulnerability to the effects of chronic sleep deprivation, which are determined by intrinsic as well as extrinsic nature to the subject

Date of Award	2012
Original language	Portuguese
Awarding Institution	Universidade Católica Portuguesa
Supervisor	Alexandre Castro Caldas (Supervisor)