Insomnia and executive functions performance / 中华行为医学与脑科学杂志

ABSTRACT

The diagnosis of insomnia includes not only complaints of dissatisfaction with sleep quantity or quality, but also accomplished with daytime dysfunction.Cognitive impairment is one of the daytime dysfunction that insomnia patients often complain about, but the objective measures of cognitive function have no obtained consistent results.Executive functions consist of three core areas, including inhibitory control, working memory and cognitive flexibility.Executive functions represent advanced cognitive processes and are related to daily activities and academic achievement.Executive functions are sensitive to insufficient sleep.However, the relationship between insomnia and executive functions has not attracted enough attention, and it is unclear whether insomnia is related to impairment of executive functions.This article reviews the influence of insomnia on executive functions.The potential mechanism and the role of hyperarousal on executive functions impairment in patients with insomnia is also discussed.