While sleep deprivation does not cause the full symptoms of schizophrenia, it does induce similar symptoms involving “perceptual distortions” and “cognitive disorganization.” Source: Wikimedia Commons
Scientists at the University of Bonn have discovered that 24 hours of sleep deprivation in humans leads to symptoms of schizophrenia. They published their findings in a July 2, 2014 edition of Journal of Neuroscience (1).
Schizophrenia, a psychological disorder that impairs an individual’s ability to differentiate between reality and the imaginary, can cause symptoms of hallucinations and delusions. Schizophrenic individuals might hear sounds that others do not or draw irrational conclusions about themselves or their environment (1).
Professors Nadine Petrovsky and Ulrich Ettinger conducted the study on 24 healthy volunteers aged 18 to 40. Researchers kept awake the subjects for 24 hours with the aid of conversation, games, and movies (1).
On the following morning, researchers tested the participants for symptoms such as “perceptual distortions” and “cognitive disorganization” common to schizophrenia through the administration of self-reported questionnaires (2).
Subjects indicated that they were more sensitive to light intensity and color. In addition to experiencing visual alterations, they also reported distortions in their senses of time and smell (3).
In a University of Bonn press release, Ettinger noted that he had not anticipated that the observed symptoms would be so prominent after just one night spent awake. Ettinger said that he was “surprised at how pronounced and how wide the spectrum of schizophrenia-like symptoms was” (3). In addition to bolstering the case for adequate daily sleep, the research also highlights the potential use of sleep deprivation as a model for psychological illnesses (1).
Those curious to learn more about schizophrenia can find a dramatized portrayal in Ron Howard’s 2001 film, A Beautiful Mind. The film is based on the life of mathematician John Nash, whose work in game theory earned him the Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences.
References:
1. Universität Bonn. “Sleep deprivation leads to symptoms of schizophrenia, research shows.” ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 7 July 2014. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/07/140707121415.htm>.
2. N. Petrovsky, U. Ettinger, A. Hill, L. Frenzel, I. Meyhofer, M. Wagner, J. Backhause, V. Kumari. Sleep Deprivation Disrupts Prepulse Inhibition and Induces Psychosis-Like Symptoms in Healthy Humans. Journal of Neuroscience, 2014; 34 (27): 9134 DOI: 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.0904-14.2014
3. Johannes Seiler. “Sleep Deprivation Leads to Symptoms of Schizophrenia.” Universität Bonn, 7 July 2014. <http://www3.uni-bonn.de/Press-releases/sleep-deprivation-leads-to-symptoms-of-schizophrenia>