INFLUENCE OF CHRONIC SLEEP DEPRIVATION ON THE CLINICAL THINKING OF FUTURE PHYSICIANS
Keywords:
chronic sleep deprivation, clinical thinking, medical students, cognitive function, decision-making, prefrontal cortex.Abstract
Chronic sleep deprivation is a prevalent issue among medical students and has significant implications for the development of clinical reasoning and decision-making skills. Insufficient sleep impairs cognitive functions such as attention, memory consolidation, problem-solving, and critical thinking, which are essential for accurate clinical judgments. Neurobiologically, sleep deprivation disrupts prefrontal cortex activity, synaptic plasticity, and neurotransmitter balance, leading to slower information processing and reduced accuracy in diagnostic reasoning. Studies have shown that prolonged sleep restriction negatively affects academic performance, clinical skill acquisition, and patient care readiness in future physicians. Understanding the impact of chronic sleep deprivation on clinical thinking is crucial for designing effective educational and wellness interventions that optimize both cognitive performance and healthcare quality [1,2].
References
Pilcher J.J., Huffcutt A.I. Effects of sleep deprivation on performance: a meta-analysis. Sleep. 1996;19(4):318–326.
Killgore W.D.S. Effects of sleep deprivation on cognition. Prog Brain Res. 2010;185:105–129.
Alhola P., Polo-Kantola P. Sleep deprivation: impact on cognitive performance. Neuropsychiatr Dis Treat. 2007;3(5):553–567.
Goel N., Rao H., Durmer J.S., Dinges D.F. Neurocognitive consequences of sleep deprivation. Semin Neurol. 2009;29(4):320–339.
Brown F.C., Buboltz W.C., Soper B. Relationship of sleep hygiene awareness, sleep hygiene practices, and sleep quality in university students. Behav Med. 2002;28(1):33–38.
Gaultney J.F. The prevalence of sleep disorders in college students: impact on academic performance. J Am Coll Health. 2010;59(2):91–97.
Lo J.C., Ong J.L., Leong R.L., Gooley J.J., Chee M.W.L. Cognitive performance, sleepiness, and mood in partially sleep deprived adolescents: the need for sleep study. Sleep. 2016;39(3):687–698.
Curcio G., Ferrara M., De Gennaro L. Sleep loss, learning capacity and academic performance. Sleep Med Rev. 2006;10(5):323–337.
Harrison Y., Horne J.A. The impact of sleep deprivation on decision making: a review. J Exp Psychol Appl. 2000;6(3):236–249.
Lo J.C., Ong J.L., Leong R.L., Gooley J.J., Chee M.W.L. Cognitive effects of sleep deprivation in medical students: a review. Front Psychol. 2016;7:1119.
