0337 Effects of Slow Wave Sleep Augmentation on Subjective Sleep Quality

Abstract Introduction Delivering transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS) during slow-wave oscillations (SWOs) may increase the power of SWOs during slow-wave sleep (SWS) and increased SWS is associated with increased sleep quality measured by the Karolinska Sleep Diary. The present analysis was done as part of an ongoing study investigating the effects of closed-loop tACS on SWOs to improve performance in an object detection task. We predicted that active stimulation to enhance SWOs during sleep would increase subjective ratings of sleep quality relative to sham stimulation. Methods 19 participants were recruited for a sleep study using stimulation at night and the Karolinska Sleep Diary was used to rate sleep quality the following morning. Participants spent an acclimation night in the lab, followed the next night by either low active (0.52mA), high active (1.5mA), or sham (0mA) stimulation and followed up 3–7 days later with a third night of either active or sham counterbalanced in a within-subjects design. Results A repeated measures ANOVA comparing day-type was significant (p=0.04) prompting a comparison of all active vs. sham stimulation nights revealing improved subjective sleep quality for active but not sham nights. This improvement in sleep quality is specific to those receiving active stimulation after a night of acclimating to sleep in the lab setting (p=0.005). Conclusion Brain stimulation may offer a new method to improve sleep quality. This has the potential to improve other aspects of daily functioning in turn, such as cognition, mood, and overall health. Support (If Any) This material is based upon work supported by the DARPA and the Army Research Office under Contract No. W911NF-16-C-0018. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the DARPA or the Army Research Office.