How couples' sleep and daily routines affect memory and Alzheimer's risk
Official title: Dyadic Sleep, Biobehavioral Rhythms and Cognitive Function in Older Adults: Implications for Alzheimer’s Disease
Funded at Utah State Higher Education System--University of Utah · NIH-11311288 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project explores whether shared sleep patterns and daily routines between older adults with mild cognitive problems and their partners influence memory and future Alzheimer's risk.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Utah State Higher Education System--University of Utah NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Salt Lake City, United States) |
| Project start | April 1, 2023 |
| Project end | March 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $1,042,809 |
| NIH project number | 5R01AG080530-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11311288 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal participants are older adults with mild cognitive impairment or mild Alzheimer's who live with and can enroll together with a spouse or partner and complete sleep monitoring and brief cognitive testing.
✕Less likely to help
People who live alone, have moderate-to-severe dementia, cannot consent, or cannot participate in sleep monitoring are unlikely to benefit directly from this project.
What this research studies
Researchers will follow couples where one partner has mild cognitive impairment or mild Alzheimer's and collect daily sleep and activity data using wearable monitors, sleep diaries, and questionnaires. They will measure how partners' sleep affects each other (interdependence) and how closely their routines match (concordance), then link those patterns to cognitive tests and health measures. The study combines day-to-day tracking with longer-term follow-up to see which shared sleep and rhythm patterns predict changes in memory and wellbeing. Results will consider effects on both the person with cognitive impairment and their partner.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the work could identify sleep- and routine-based changes couples can adopt to help protect memory and improve daily functioning.
How similar studies have gone: Previous research links sleep disruption to cognitive decline, but studying shared sleep patterns within couples is a newer approach with limited prior trials.
Where this research is happening
-
Utah State Higher Education System--University of Utah
Salt Lake City, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Baron, Kelly Glazer — Utah State Higher Education System--University of Utah
- Study coordinator: Baron, Kelly Glazer
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.