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Photo:Maria Korneeva/Getty Images
Maria Korneeva/Getty Images
What the Study Found
The findings indicate that participants with the most disrupted sleep had more than twice the odds of experiencing poor cognitive performance compared to those with the least disrupted sleep, even after adjusting for various factors such as age, sex, race and education. Notably, the amount of time spent sleeping and participants’ subjective reports on the quality of their sleep didn’t show a significant association with cognitive performance in middle age.
“Given that signs of Alzheimer’s disease start to accumulate in the brain several decades before symptoms begin, understanding the connection between sleep and cognition earlier in life is critical for understanding the role of sleep problems as a risk factor for the disease,” said study authorYue Leng, Ph.D., lead study author at the University of California, San Francisco, in astatement.
The study also highlights the potential life stages when sleep may be more strongly linked to cognition. Dr. Leng suggests that further research in this area could pave the way for new opportunities in Alzheimer’s disease prevention later in life. “More research is needed to assess the link between sleep disturbances and cognition at different stages of life and to identify if critical life periods exist when sleep is more strongly associated with cognition,” stated Leng.
While the study offers valuable insights into the intricate relationship between disrupted sleep and cognitive health, it acknowledges limitations such as a relatively small sample size, preventing a comprehensive exploration of potential race or sex differences. Despite these constraints, the study urges the scientific community to delve deeper into the nuanced connections between sleep patterns and cognitive function, opening avenues for future research that could provide preventative measures forcognitive decline.
The Bottom Line
Read Next:What Happens to Your Brain As You Age and How to Protect It, According to Doctors
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