Study: Sleep Habits Affect Brain Volume in Adolescents

According to a recent study, weekend and weekday sleep times are associated with a significant reduction in brain grey matter volume (GMV) and poor academic performance in adolescents.

The research, published in Scientific Report, was the first to demonstrate an association between GMV size, academic performance, and poor sleep habits.

In the study, researchers assessed GMV by using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and voxel-based morphometry (VBM) in 177 fourteen-year-old adolescents. Sleep habits of the participants were assessed using questions asking about wake-up and bedtimes, and school grade averages were collected through the European School Survey Project on Alcohol and Drugs.

The association between sleep habits and school grade averages were determined using regression analyses, and correlations between sleep habits and GMV was analyzed with multiple regression models.

Researchers found that shorter time in bed during weekdays and later weekend sleeping hours were correlated with smaller GMV in the frontal, anterior cingulate, and precuneus cortex regions. Likewise, later weekend bedtime and smaller GMV in the medial brain regions were associated with poor school grade averages.

“The medial prefrontal-anterior cingulate cortex appears most tightly related to the adolescents’ variations in sleep habits, as its volume correlates inversely with both weekend bedtime and wake up time, and also with poor school performance,” the researchers wrote.

“We would encourage all parental, societal, and educational support for adolescents to ensure maintenance of a healthy sleep-wake rhythm. Especially, avoiding late bedtimes during weekends would seem important in order to make the most out of the brain’s developmental potential and to ensure optimal academic success,” the researchers concluded.

—Melissa Weiss

Reference:

Urrila AS, Artiges E, Massicotte J, et al. Sleep habits, academic performance, and the adolescent brain structure [published online February 9, 2017]. Sci Rep. doi:10.1038/srep41678.