Nocturnal sleep duration and cognitive impairment in a population-based study of older adults

✍ Scribed by Adrian Loerbroks; Desiree Debling; Manfred Amelang; Til Stürmer

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 2009
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 205 KB
• Volume: 25
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0885-6230
• DOI: 10.1002/gps.2305

✦ Synopsis

Abstract

Objective

We aimed to investigate the association between nocturnal sleep duration, changes in nocturnal sleep duration and cognitive impairment in older adults.

Methods

4010 participants of a population‐based cohort study provided information on nocturnal sleep duration at baseline (1991–1995) and at follow‐up (2002/2003). 792 follow‐up participants aged 70+ by 2006 participated in telephone‐based cognitive assessments. Several cognitive tests were used including the telephone interview for cognitive status (TICS). Cognitive impairment was defined as <31 points on the TICS (13.0%) and as below this percentile on the other tests. Based on individual tests, a verbal memory score and a total score were constructed. Multivariable prevalence ratios (PRs) of cognitive impairment and 95% confidence intervals (95%CIs) were computed using Poisson regression. Analyses were restricted to those free of depression in 2002/2003 (n = 695).

Results

Sleeping ≤6 or 8 h per night (versus 7 h) were unrelated to cognitive impairment. Sleeping ≥9 h was positively, although imprecisely, associated with impairment of verbal memory (PR = 1.7, 95%CI = 1.0, 3.0), and less pronounced with the other cognitive measures. An increase in sleep duration from 7–8 h in 1992–1995 to ≥9 h 8.5 years later (versus sleeping 7–8 h at both time points) was associated with an increased prevalence of cognitive impairment according to the TICS (PR = 2.1, 95% = 1.0, 4.5) and the verbal memory score (PR = 2.0, 95%CI = 1.0, 3.8).

Conclusions

Increases in sleep duration are associated with cognitive impairment. A biological explanation for this association is currently lacking. Increases in sleep duration could be a marker of cognitive deficits. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.