Date of Award

January 2025

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science (MS)

Department

Psychology

First Advisor

Dmitri Poltavski

Abstract

The present study investigated the impact of acute and chronic sleep deprivation on visuomotor performance using both electroencephalographic (EEG) and behavioral measures (Senaptec Sensory Station) in a sample of 43 college students aged 18 to 27. Participants were assigned to low or high sleep conditions based on Chronic Sleep Reduction Questionnaire (CSRQ) scores, while acute sleep deprivation was assessed via the Karolinska Sleepiness Scale (KSS). Heart rate variability (HRV) was recorded to support condition placement, but comparisons revealed no significant differences between groups. No significant differences were found in visuomotor control or eye-quickness assessments. However, visual clarity was significantly better in the high sleep condition. A significant interaction between sleep condition and KSS scores indicated that subjective sleepiness more strongly impacted visual clarity in the low sleep group. EEG analysis revealed increased theta activity in the low sleep group during the go/no-go task, consistent with elevated fatigue, heightened cognitive effort, and reduced alertness. Furthermore, distraction probabilities increased with rising KSS scores, particularly in the high sleep group across tasks (i.e., depth perception, near-far quickness, target capture, perception span, multiple-object tracking, reaction time, eye-hand coordination, go/no-go). These findings suggest individuals with chronic sleep deprivation may develop compensatory strategies that buffer against performance deficits, unlike those in the high sleep group who may be less adapted to sleep loss. Limitations include a relatively small sample size and restricted CSRQ variability. Future research should incorporate larger, more diverse samples and refined measures of sleep to better distinguish the effects of sleep deprivation on visuomotor performance.

Download

Share

COinS