Neural Correlates of Self-regulation on Academic Functioning

Study Overview
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Brief Summary
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The main objectives of the study include: 1. What are the differences in self-regulation and its neurophysiological and neuroanatomical correlates between college students with poor and excellent sleep functioning? 2. Does sleep functioning (assessed both by questionnaires and actigraphy), and self-control/self-regulation (questionnaire and imaging data) predict academic achievement and problem behaviors in college students?

Detailed Description
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Based on the Self-Control Theory, individual differences in characteristics such as impulsivity, risk-seeking, and self-regulation consistently predict health-compromising and problem behaviors as well as academic functioning and success in adolescents and young adults.[1] Although suboptimal self-regulation is normative in adolescence and young adulthood, [2] it might result in negative consequences for adolescents' and young adults' health and well-being, including substance use, school/college dropout, or troubles with law. A recent line of research suggested that self-regulation problems are associated with insufficient and poor sleep.[3] As adolescents and young adults frequently report poor sleep functioning,[4] their self-regulation abilities might be further compromised by unfavorable sleep functioning with consequences for youths' problem behaviors and academic success. To mitigate this problem, some efforts have followed to ensure that adolescents get enough quality sleep (e.g., delayed school start times). However, the associations between sleep functioning, self-regulation, academic functioning, and problem behaviors were established predominantly using questionnaire data. Neurophysiological correlates of these associations have not been extensively studied. In the proposed study, this gap in scholarship will be addressed by linking sleep functioning to self-regulation indicated by neuropsychological and neuroanatomical data, and predicting academic achievement and problem behaviors with sleep and self-regulation. This explorative, pilot study is a first step in efforts to understand the issue; it will be carried out with a college student sample (N = 48, 50% female) which will also have implications for future research focused on adolescents (middle and high school students). Pilot data will inform the development of a larger study that will include adolescents (middle and high school students) and will support grant applications. Results will have a potential for prevention /intervention programs and policy targeting youth, such as school start times setting. This study will be carried out as a collaboration between the Department of Family Sciences at the University of Kentucky and the Department of Human Development and Family Studies at the Texas Tech University. Data will be collected following the same procedures described in this application both at the University of Kentucky and Texas Tech campuses. Research team at the Texas Tech University has submitted their own Institutional Review Board (IRB) application that is now being reviewed.

Official Title
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Neural Correlates of the Associations Between Sleep Functioning, Self-regulation, Academic Functioning, and Problem Behaviors

Conditions
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Self-Control

Intervention / Treatment
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* Behavioral: Deception


Participation Criteria
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Eligibility Criteria
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Inclusion Criteria: Healthy college-age youth between the ages of 18 and 24 years Exclusion Criteria: Gross impairment of vision or hearing Inability to read and follow written instructions Physical, neurological, or concurrent psychiatric impairments Regular intake of psychotropic medication (such as methylphenidate used to treat Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), antidepressants, or anti-anxiety medication) A history of head injury that resulted in loss of consciousness/a history of brain surgery/or seizures A current/past history of smoking and/or alcohol or drug abuse (i.e., five or more drinks in one sitting or 15 drinks or more during a week for men, and four drinks on one occasion or eight drinks over the course of a week for women; additionally, regular drug use, including marijuana) Current pregnancy Any metallic objects in your body (such as braces, pacemakers, surgical devices, piercings that cannot be removed etc.) Enrollment of the subjects will start in May 2018 and will be finished by the end of December 2018.

Ages Eligible for Study
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Minimum Age: 18 Years
Maximum Age: 24 Years

Sexes Eligible for Study
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All

Accepts Healthy Volunteers
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Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Study Plan
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How is the study designed?
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Arms and Interventions

| Participant Group/Arm | Intervention/Treatment |
| --- | --- |
| Rested<br>Based on Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, participants scoring in the top 10-20% will be assigned to the rested group and will experience deception as part of the delayed gratification task | Behavioral: Deception<br>* Participants will be deceived during delayed gratification task.<br>|
| Sleep-deprived<br>Based on Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, participants scoring in the bottom 10-20% will be assigned to the sleep-deprived group and will experience deception as part of the delayed gratification task | Behavioral: Deception<br>* Participants will be deceived during delayed gratification task.<br>|

What is the study measuring?
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Primary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Rested versus sleep deprived group differences of Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) Blood oxygenation level dependent (BOLD) responses for Stop Signal Reaction Time Task (SSRT) Stop Signals | Rested versus sleep deprived group differences of functional magnetic resonance imaging reactivity of the whole brain while performing a Stop Signal Reaction Time Task | Up to 45 days following selection for inclusion based on prescreen, cross-sectional study | 
| Rested versus sleep deprived group differences of fMRI BOLD responses for a Go-NoGo Continuous Performance Task (CPT) | Rested versus sleep deprived group differences of functional magnetic resonance imaging reactivity of the whole brain while performing a Go-NoGo Continuous Performance Task | Up to 45 days following selection for inclusion based on prescreen, cross-sectional study | 
| Rested versus sleep deprived group differences of brain structural connectivity | Rested versus sleep deprived group differences of brain structural connectivity as measured by diffusion tensor imaging and analyzed using tract-based spatial statistics | Up to 45 days following selection for inclusion based on prescreen, cross-sectional study | 
| Rested versus sleep deprived group differences of brain structure | Rested versus sleep deprived group differences of brain structure as determined by voxel based morphometry of structural magnetic resonance imaging data | Up to 45 days following selection for inclusion based on prescreen, cross-sectional study | 

 Terms related to the study
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Keywords Provided by Centre Hospitalier Valida
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Sleep, Academic functioning, Problem behaviors, College age youth, Self-regulation