The Effect of Sleep Loss on Emotion Regulation

NCT05393830 | Recruiting

• 1 other identifier: 2022P000120
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 90
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

The study is designed to investigate the impact of three nights of sleep restricted to 4 hours per night, on the processing and regulation of emotional information compared to Insomnia Disorder and control. The investigators will address and attempt to answer two questions. (i) How do three nights of reduced sleep or a diagnosis of Insomnia Disorder affect the processing and regulation of emotional information compared to typical, undisturbed sleep? (ii) What overlapping and distinct neural mechanisms are engaged and associated with behavioral effects when attempting to process and regulate emotions in a sleep restricted state or with a clinical diagnosis of Insomnia Disorder? This study will investigate sleep's role in emotion processing and regulation. The findings will help further understanding of the role of sleep in healthy emotional functioning.

Conditions

Sleep; Insomnia; Sleep Deprivation

Keywords

Emotion; Sleep Restriction; Insomnia Disorder; Sleep; Emotion Regulation; functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI)

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (4)

• Baseline Emotional Regulation Task with Strategy

  Baseline behavioral ratings to emotional stimuli with emotion regulation strategies

  Day 1

• Baseline Emotional Regulation Task without Strategy

  Baseline behavioral ratings to emotional stimuli without emotion regulation strategies

  Day 1

• Reassessment of the Emotional Regulation Task with Strategy Baseline behavioral ratings to emotional stimuli with or without emotion regulation strategies

  Behavioral ratings to emotional stimuli with emotion regulation strategies following normal sleep or sleep restriction

  one test in a 3-6 day window

• Reassessment of the Emotional Regulation Task without Strategy Baseline behavioral ratings to emotional stimuli with or without emotion regulation strategies

  Behavioral ratings to emotional stimuli without emotion regulation strategies following normal sleep or sleep restriction

  one test in a 3-6 day window

Secondary Outcomes (1)

• Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI)

  one test in a 3-6 day window

Study Arms (3)

Normal Sleep

NO INTERVENTION

Normal Sleep - Healthy participants are permitted normal nights of polysomnography or actigraphy recorded sleep before participating in an emotion regulation task during functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) scanning

Sleep Restriction

ACTIVE COMPARATOR

Healthy Participants are sleep restricted to 4 hours of sleep for 3 consecutive days before participating in an emotion regulation task during functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) scanning

Behavioral: Sleep Restriction

Patients with Insomnia Disorder

NO INTERVENTION

Patients with Insomnia Disorder will also be recruited and will be permitted normal nights of polysomnography or actigraphy recorded sleep before participating in an emotion regulation task during functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) scanning

Interventions

Sleep Restriction BEHAVIORAL

Three nights of sleep restricted to 4 hours per night.

Sleep Restriction

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years - 40 Years
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64)

You may qualify if:

• willing and able to follow the protocol
• willing to refrain from alcohol and recreational drugs for the duration of the protocol
• normal or corrected to normal vision is required

You may not qualify if:

• left-handedness or ambidexterity
• the use of any drugs that could affect either sleep or cognitive functioning (e.g., prescription sleeping pills or antidepressants)

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center: lead

Study Sites (1)

Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center

Boston, Massachusetts, 02215, United States

RECRUITING

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders; Sleep Deprivation; Emotional Regulation

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Sleep Disorders, Intrinsic; Dyssomnias; Sleep Wake Disorders; Nervous System Diseases; Mental Disorders; Neurologic Manifestations; Signs and Symptoms; Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms; Self-Control; Social Behavior; Behavior

Study Officials

• Janet M Mullington, PhD

  Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Central Study Contacts

Tony J Cunningham, PhD

CONTACT

617-667-3337; acunnin4@BIDMC.Harvard.edu

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: NON RANDOMIZED
• Masking: NONE
• Purpose: BASIC SCIENCE
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Assistant Professor of Psychology in the Department of Psychiatry

Model Details: Independent Groups Comparison

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: May 20, 2022
• First Posted: May 26, 2022
• Study Start: May 11, 2023
• Primary Completion (Estimated): April 1, 2027
• Study Completion (Estimated): July 31, 2027
• Last Updated: April 14, 2026

Record last verified: 2026-04

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

US (1)