Circadian rhythms in cognitive performance: implications for neuropsychological assessment

Abstract

Circadian variations have been found in human performance, including the efficiency to execute many tasks, such as sensory, motor, reaction time, time estimation, memory, verbal, arithmetic calculations, and simulated driving tasks. Performance increases during the day and decreases during the night. Circadian rhythms have been found in three basic neuropsychological processes (attention, working memory, and executive functions), which may explain oscillations in the performance of many tasks. The time course of circadian rhythms in cognitive performance may be modified significantly in patients with brain disorders, due to chronotype, age, alterations of the circadian rhythm, sleep deprivation, type of disorder, and medication. This review analyzes the recent results on circadian rhythms in cognitive performance, as well as the implications of these rhythms for the neuropsychological assessment of patients with brain disorders such as traumatic head injury, stroke, dementia, developmental disorders, and psychiatric disorders.

Mapping the structure of perceptual and visual–motor abilities in healthy young adults

“…In healthy adults who typically sleep from 23:00 to 7:00, peak cognitive performance is often observed during 16:00-22:00 while the lowest levels of performance are reported between 7:00 and 10:00 (Matchock, 2010;Valdez, Ramírez, & García, 2012); however, caffeine and food consumption can alter normal biological rhythms (Valdez et al, 2012).…”

“…Nonetheless, since intra-individual differences were not tested (i.e. repeated testing at different wake intervals for the same individual, e.g., Valdez et al, 2012), and since participants performed only during daytime hours in the context of their typical, unaltered sleep patterns, further research is warranted to more fully map out the relationship between sleep and performance on the metrics from this perceptual and visual-motor battery.…”

Differences in cortisol profiles and circadian adjustment time between nurses working night shifts and regular day shifts: A prospective longitudinal study

“…With an increased degree of fatigue, the reaction time of shift workers increases and their attention decreases (Niu et al, 2013;Samaha et al, 2007;Takeyama et al, 2005). Circadian rhythms in cognitive performance have been found associated with 3 basic neuropsychological processes (attention, working memory, and executive functions), which can modulate the execution of many tasks (Valdez et al, 2012), that may explain why alertness increases during the day and decreases during the night. Night-shift workers typically work at the low point of the circadian cycle; therefore, their attention and short-term memory are markedly decreased while working (Valdez et al, 2005).…”

Perubahan fungsi kognitif dan psikomotor residen anestesiologi dan terapi intensif setelah 32 jam kerja

“…Gangguan fungsi kognitif di masa depan juga dapat terjadi bila terjadi gangguan irama sirkadian terus menerus. [16][17][18][19][20][21] Suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) disebut juga sebagai the circadian master clock dengan mengatur irama sirkadian. SCN dapat memodulasi perilaku saat terjaga sehingga berkontribusi terhadap neurobehavioral.…”