Abnormal temporal dynamics of high-frequency neural oscillations are associated with poor sleep quality in abstinent patients with alcohol use disorders.
Resting-state LRTC in high-frequency EEG bands are altered in AUD and related to sleep quality, suggesting their potential as an objective biomarker for assessing sleep disturbances in AUD.
Key Findings
Results
AUD patients exhibited significantly reduced long-range temporal correlations (LRTC) in the β and γ frequency bands compared to healthy controls.
Study included 39 AUD patients and 34 healthy controls
LRTC was calculated using detrended fluctuation analysis (DFA) across distinct frequency bands on resting-state EEG data
β band LRTC distinguished AUD patients from healthy controls with AUC of 0.80 (p < 0.001)
γ band LRTC distinguished AUD patients from healthy controls with AUC of 0.77 (p < 0.001)
Results
Poorer sleep quality in AUD patients was significantly associated with lower β band LRTC in multiple brain regions.
Significant negative correlation found between PSQI scores and β band LRTC in the middle frontal lobe (r = 0.45, p = 0.037)
Significant association found in the right parietal lobe (r = 0.37, p = 0.039)
Significant association found in the middle parietal lobe (r = 0.42, p = 0.037)
Significant associations found in the occipital lobe (r = 0.386–0.392, ps = 0.037)
Sleep quality was assessed using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI)
Results
β and γ band LRTC effectively distinguished AUD patients from healthy controls as potential objective biomarkers.
β band LRTC achieved AUC of 0.80 (p < 0.001)
γ band LRTC achieved AUC of 0.77 (p < 0.001)
LRTC reflects the temporal organization and excitation-inhibition (E/I) balance of brain networks
The authors suggest these measures have potential as objective biomarkers for assessing sleep disturbances in AUD
Background
Sleep disturbance is a common and clinically significant symptom in AUD that often persists during abstinence and increases the risk of relapse.
The neurophysiological mechanisms underlying sleep dysfunction in AUD are described as poorly understood
Altered LRTC has been observed in various psychiatric and sleep disorders prior to this study
The role of LRTC in AUD and its relationship to sleep dysfunction during abstinence had not been systematically investigated before this study
The study focused specifically on abstinent AUD patients
What This Means
This research examined brain wave patterns in people recovering from alcohol use disorder (AUD) to better understand why many of them experience poor sleep even after they stop drinking. The researchers used EEG (a technique that measures electrical activity in the brain) to look at a specific property called long-range temporal correlations (LRTC), which reflects how organized and balanced the brain's activity is over time. They compared 39 abstinent AUD patients to 34 healthy individuals and also assessed sleep quality using a standard questionnaire called the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index.
The study found that AUD patients had significantly reduced LRTC in high-frequency brain wave bands (called beta and gamma bands) compared to healthy controls. Within the AUD group, those who reported worse sleep quality also tended to have lower beta band LRTC in several brain regions, including parts of the frontal, parietal, and occipital lobes. The pattern of LRTC in these high-frequency bands was also able to reliably distinguish AUD patients from healthy individuals, with accuracy scores (AUC) of 0.80 for beta and 0.77 for gamma bands.
This research suggests that disrupted brain oscillation dynamics — possibly reflecting an imbalance between excitatory and inhibitory brain activity — may underlie the sleep problems commonly experienced by people in recovery from AUD. The findings point to the possibility that EEG-based measures of brain activity could serve as objective tools for identifying and monitoring sleep disturbances in this population, which is clinically important because poor sleep during abstinence is linked to higher risk of relapse.
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Xu X, Xue C, Wei Y, Liu J, Zhang X, Yang P, et al.. (2026). Abnormal temporal dynamics of high-frequency neural oscillations are associated with poor sleep quality in abstinent patients with alcohol use disorders.. Addictive behaviors. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.addbeh.2026.108730