Study Links Sleep to Memory and Cognitive Issues

Washington, 8 Jan (ONA) --- A recent study published in Neurology, the American Academy of Neurology's medical journal, suggests that individuals experiencing disrupted sleep in their 30s and 40s may face an increased risk of memory and cognitive difficulties a decade later.

The research, conducted by Yue Leng, PhD, from the University of California, San Francisco, focused on the sleep patterns of 526 participants with an average age of 40, tracked over 11 years.

The study found that the quality of sleep, rather than the quantity, played a crucial role in cognitive health in middle age.

Participants who reported poor sleep quality, measured on a scale from zero to 21, with higher scores indicating worse sleep quality, had a higher likelihood of experiencing cognitive issues later in life. Sleep fragmentation, which measures interruptions in sleep, was also considered in the study.

After adjusting for factors such as age, gender, race, and education, individuals with the most disrupted sleep had over twice the odds of poor cognitive performance compared to those with the least disrupted sleep.

The study emphasizes the importance of understanding the relationship between sleep and cognition early in life, especially since signs of Alzheimer's disease may begin accumulating in the brain decades before symptoms appear.

---Ends/Thuraiya/Anas