Chronic Sleep Deprivation and Changes in Cortical and Hippocampal Volume

Relationship Between Chronic Sleep Deprivation and Changes in Cortical and Hippocampal Volume Assessed by Nuclear Magnetic Resonance in First-Year Medical Residents

Sleep is a physiological state that is essential for human performance, including academic, occupational, interpersonal, and psychological aspects. Sleep disruption or deprivation leads to a loss of psychomotor skills and an increased association with various diseases. Therefore, it is critical to assess how chronic sleep deprivation affects medical residents who work long shifts, including those assigned during their training.

Objective: To determine if there is an association between chronic sleep deprivation and changes in cortical and hippocampal volume, assessed by nuclear magnetic resonance, in first-year medical residents assigned to the High Specialty Medical Unit, Specialty Hospital No. 1, National Medical Center of Bajío, during a period of 2 months after their admission.

Materials and Methods: This is a retrospective cohort study of first-year residents at UMAE T1, with a calculated sample size of 37 patients. Results are presented using descriptive statistics with mean and standard deviation or median with confidence intervals, depending on the type of variable. The relationship between MRI values and sleep deprivation will be assessed using Pearson's correlation coefficient or its non-parametric equivalent.

Ethical considerations: The study will be conducted with the informed consent of the patients in accordance with the General Health Law on Research and the Helsinki Declaration of 1975. The risk associated with this study is more than minimal.

Resources: Magnetic resonance studies will be performed at the High Specialty Medical Unit, Specialty Hospital No. 1, National Medical Center of Bajio, under the supervision of affiliated physicians specializing in the field of radiology and a fourth year resident in Diagnostic and Therapeutic Imaging.

Inclusion Criteria:

• New resident physicians assigned to the High Specialty Medical Unit, Hospital de Especialidades No. 1 Centro Médico Nacional Del Bajío.

Exclusion Criteria:

• - Patients who have ingested caffeine, nicotine or alcohol in the last 24 hours.
• Patients with sleep disorders who present a score greater than 5 in the initial assessment of the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index.
• Patients with psychiatric treatment.
• Patients ingesting medications that intervene in the awake state.
• Patients with drug abuse (marijuana, cocaine, etc.).
• Patients with claustrophobia.
• Patients with metallic implants.