Cognitive functions and underlying parameters of human brain physiology are associated with chronotype

Mohammad Ali Salehinejad, Miles Wischnewski, Elham Ghanavati, Mohsen Mosayebi-Samani, Min-Fang Kuo and Michael A. Nitsche ()
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Mohammad Ali Salehinejad: Leibniz Research Centre for Working Environment and Human Factors
Miles Wischnewski: Radboud University Nijmegen
Elham Ghanavati: Leibniz Research Centre for Working Environment and Human Factors
Mohsen Mosayebi-Samani: Leibniz Research Centre for Working Environment and Human Factors
Min-Fang Kuo: Leibniz Research Centre for Working Environment and Human Factors
Michael A. Nitsche: Leibniz Research Centre for Working Environment and Human Factors

Nature Communications, 2021, vol. 12, issue 1, 1-19

Abstract: Abstract Circadian rhythms have natural relative variations among humans known as chronotype. Chronotype or being a morning or evening person, has a specific physiological, behavioural, and also genetic manifestation. Whether and how chronotype modulates human brain physiology and cognition is, however, not well understood. Here we examine how cortical excitability, neuroplasticity, and cognition are associated with chronotype in early and late chronotype individuals. We monitor motor cortical excitability, brain stimulation-induced neuroplasticity, and examine motor learning and cognitive functions at circadian-preferred and non-preferred times of day in 32 individuals. Motor learning and cognitive performance (working memory, and attention) along with their electrophysiological components are significantly enhanced at the circadian-preferred, compared to the non-preferred time. This outperformance is associated with enhanced cortical excitability (prominent cortical facilitation, diminished cortical inhibition), and long-term potentiation/depression-like plasticity. Our data show convergent findings of how chronotype can modulate human brain functions from basic physiological mechanisms to behaviour and higher-order cognition.

Date: 2021
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-24885-0

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