Susceptibility of acute sleep deprivation to cerebral cortex depolarization assisted by conductive nanoparticles based on medical thermography

J Therm Biol. 2025 Jun 24:131:104193. doi: 10.1016/j.jtherbio.2025.104193. Online ahead of print.

Abstract

Acute sleep deprivation (SD) has significant effects on the cognitive function and behavioral performance of organisms. In recent years, medical thermal imagery has shown potential in monitoring physiological changes, especially in the study of electrical activity in the cerebral cortex. The purpose of this study was to investigate the application of conductive nanoparticle-assisted medical thermal imaging technology in assessing the sensitivity of acute sleep deprivation to cerebral cortex depolarization. Adult SD rats were selected as experimental animals and grouped according to specific criteria. Acute sleep deprivation model was established and cortical depolarization was recorded by electrophysiological methods. Electroencephalography (EEG) and electromyography (EMG) data obtained by thermal imaging techniques showed that acute sleep deprivation significantly altered the depolarization pattern of the cerebral cortex in rats. The rats in the acute sleep deprivation group showed significant weight loss and anxiety-like behavior, and the behavioral results supported the physiological data findings. The study shows that medical thermal images combined with conductive nanoparticles can effectively assess the effects of acute sleep deprivation on cerebral cortical depolarization, providing a new way to study the effects of sleep disorders on neurophysiological function.

Keywords: Acute sleep deprivation; Cerebral cortex; Conducting nanoparticles; Depolarization; Medical thermal image; Sensibility.