The impairments of sleep loss on core executive functions: General and task-specific effects

This meta-analysis quantified the impact of sleep loss (including both total sleep deprivation and partial sleep restriction) on core components of executive function: working memory, inhibitory control, and cognitive flexibility. A systematic search of Scopus, Web of Science, and PubMed identified 79 relevant publications. Using random-effects models, pooled effect sizes for reaction time and accuracy metrics were estimated separately within each task category. All reaction time metrics, except for cognitive flexibility, increased significantly following sleep loss, with medium to near-large effect sizes. Analysis of accuracy metrics revealed medium to large effect sizes on task-switching and task-repeat performance of cognitive flexibility, as well as on working memory maintenance, whereas a small effect size was observed on resolving interference inhibition. These findings highlight pervasive damage to all executive function components and suggest that the impaired common factor of executive functions may underpin sleep loss–related deterioration. Furthermore, the discrepancies between reaction time and accuracy effect sizes indicate opposite speed-accuracy trade-offs following sleep loss between interference inhibition and cognitive flexibility. This study provides essential evidence for understanding how sleep loss affects different components of executive function, emphasizing the importance of exploring sleep loss–related impairments from a comprehensive perspective.