35 Correlations Between Sleep and Cognitive Functioning in Healthy, Older Adults

• Published in: Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society 2023-11, Vol.29 (s1), p.243-244
• Main Authors: Bornazyan, Krikor, Bridget Zimmerman, M, Collins, Sam M, Toovey, Cole R, Denburg, Natalie L
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Aging; Alzheimer's disease; Clinical trials; Cognition & reasoning; Cognitive ability; Dementia; Dementia (Alzheimer’s Disease); Dementia disorders; Executive function; Information processing; Language; Memory; Neurodegenerative diseases; Poster Session 03: Dementia | Amnesia | Memory | Language | Executive Functions; Sleep; Spatial memory
• ISSN: 1355-6177; 1469-7661
• DOI: 10.1017/S1355617723003533

Objective:Alzheimer’s disease (AD), a leading cause of dementia worldwide, affected an estimated 47 million people in 2015, placing a burden of over $1 trillion on health systems. Subclinical markers of AD pathology are seen many years before the clinical onset of dementia, suggesting that steps could be taken to prevent progression to disease in healthy individuals. Sleep optimizes cognition by creating a window of opportunity to consolidate memories, prune synaptic networks, and clear waste products. Studies that characterize the relationship between sleep and cognitive function prior to the onset of clinical AD could guide research into effective methods of delaying AD onset or preventing it altogether. The objective of our study is to describe how sleep quality and quantity correlate with performance on cognitive assessments within a healthy, aging population.Participants and Methods:Seventeen participants, between 62-82 years of age enrolled in an ongoing clinical trial assessing the effects of melatonin (5mg daily) versus placebo, were included in our study. Participants were observed over a 2-month period, during which no experimental interventions were administered. At study entry, participants underwent a comprehensive neuropsychological evaluation evaluating cognitive domains of attention, memory, speed of information processing, language, executive functioning, and mood. Afterwards, all participants wore a watch that measured actigraphy and light data (Philips Actiwatch Spectrum Pro actigraphy monitor) for 8 weeks to evaluate their sleep habits. Pearson and Spearman partial correlations were used to evaluate relationships between objective sleep parameters and baseline cognitive function test scores.Results:Aberrations of sleep length, sleep fragmentation, and daytime activity measures significantly correlated with cognitive performance on memory, language, visuospatial skills, and speed of processing tests (p =