Better habitual sleep quality is associated with increased brain entropy in sensory and sensorimotor cortices and decreased brain entropy in frontoparietal control regions.
In a large observational study using UK Biobank resting-state fMRI data (replicated in HCP and a sleep deprivation experiment), better self-reported sleep quality was linked to increased regional brain entropy (BEN) in sensory and sensorimotor cortices and decreased BEN in frontoparietal control regions. Sleep amount predicted increased BEN in visual and somatomotor regions in the HCP cohort.
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Better habitual sleep quality is associated with increased brain entropy in sensory and sensorimotor cortices and decreased brain entropy in frontoparietal control regions. The current body of evidence comprises 1 study. EvidenceHub rates the overall confidence at 32/100 (low).
The Claim
Better habitual sleep quality is associated with increased brain entropy in sensory and sensorimotor cortices and decreased brain entropy in frontoparietal control regions.
This conclusion is most relevant to: Participants from UK Biobank (observational cohort), Human Connectome Project (replication cohort), and a total sleep deprivation experiment.
What the Research Shows
The conclusion draws on 1 linked study. Highlights from the cited literature:
- ▸From Sensorimotor to Transmodal Cortex: Sleep Quality Aligns Brain Entropy with the Cortical Functional Gradient. (Sleep, 2026) —
How It Works
The proposed biological pathway:
- ▸Better sleep quality increases temporal complexity in sensory/motor regions
- ▸Better sleep quality decreases temporal complexity in frontoparietal control regions
- ▸Sleep quality aligns brain entropy with the cortical functional gradient
- ▸Result: Systematic reconfiguration of brain's temporal complexity architecture
Who Might Benefit
Evidence fit by population:
- ▸Participants from UK Biobank (observational cohort), Human Connectome Project (replication cohort), and a total sleep deprivation experiment
Recommended Dose
N/A
Limitations & Caveats
Important context when interpreting this evidence:
- ▸Self-reported sleep quality may be subject to recall bias
- ▸Observational design limits causal inference; experimental sleep deprivation only exploratory
Frequently Asked Questions
What is brain entropy (BEN)?▼
Brain entropy is a measure of temporal complexity or irregularity of spontaneous neural activity, estimated from resting-state fMRI signals.
How was sleep quality measured in this study?▼
Sleep quality was assessed via self-reported habitual sleep quality and sleep amount in observational cohorts, and experimentally via total sleep deprivation in a laboratory study.
Did the study find any effects of sleep amount on brain entropy?▼
Yes, in the independent HCP cohort, sleep amount predicted increased BEN in visual and somatomotor regions.
What is the cortical functional gradient?▼
It is a principal gradient of functional connectivity from sensorimotor to transmodal cortex, and the study found that the association between sleep measures and BEN was strongly negatively correlated with this gradient.
References
- 1.Del Mauro G, Li Y, Yu J, Wickwire E, Kochunov P, Chen S, Rao H, Wang Z. “From Sensorimotor to Transmodal Cortex: Sleep Quality Aligns Brain Entropy with the Cortical Functional Gradient..” Sleep, 2026. PMID: 42518224 DOI: 10.1093/sleep/zsag205