Fragmentation of the rest-activity rhythm correlates with age-related cognitive deficits |
| |
| Authors: | JOUKJE M. OOSTERMAN EUS J. W. VAN SOMEREN RAYMOND L. C. VOGELS BARBERA VAN HARTEN ERIK J. A. SCHERDER |
| |
| Affiliation: | Experimental Psychology, Helmholtz Institute, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands;, Department of Clinical Neuropsychology, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, The Netherlands;, Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience, an institute of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences, Amsterdam, The Netherlands;, Departments of Neurology, Clinical Neurophysiology and Medical Psychology and Alzheimer Center, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands;, Department of Neurology, Medical Center Alkmaar, Alkmaar, The Netherlands;and Department of Neurology, Medical Center Leeuwarden, Leeuwarden, The Netherlands |
| |
| Abstract: | Aging affects both cognitive performance and the sleep-wake rhythm. The recent surge of studies that support a role of sleep for cognitive performance in healthy young adults suggests that disturbed sleep-wake rhythms may contribute to 'age-related' cognitive decline. This relationship has however not previously been extensively investigated. The present correlational study integrated a battery of standardized cognitive tests to investigate the association of mental speed, memory, and executive function with actigraphically recorded sleep-wake rhythms in 144 home-dwelling elderly participants aged 69.5 ± 8.5 (mean ± SD). Multiple regression analyses showed that the partial correlations of the fragmentation of the sleep-wake rhythm with each of the three cognitive domains ( r = −0.16, −0.19, and −0.16 respectively) were significant. These associations were independent from main effects of age, implying that a unique relationship between the rest-activity rhythm and cognitive performance is present in elderly people. |
| |
| Keywords: | actigraphy aging circadian rhythm cognitive function sleep |
|
|
