Midlife sleep and fitness linked to later memory problems and Alzheimer's markers
Sleep and Aerobic Fitness as Midlife Modifiers of Later Life Cognitive Decline and Alzheimer's Disease Biomarkers in the Wisconsin Sleep Cohort
This project looks at whether sleep problems like sleep apnea and low aerobic fitness in middle age change when Alzheimer's brain changes and thinking problems happen in adults.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Wisconsin-Madison NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Madison, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11307097 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
This work uses decades of data from the long-running Wisconsin Sleep Cohort, where participants have had objective sleep tests, fitness measures, repeated cognitive testing, and some Alzheimer's biomarker data. Researchers will apply advanced timing methods to estimate when Alzheimer's-related biomarkers (for example, brain imaging or blood markers) first appear. They will relate those timing estimates to midlife obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF). The team will also study how midlife OSA and fitness together influence memory and thinking over time.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates are middle-aged or older adults, especially those with a history of sleep apnea or known fitness measurements, or people enrolled in long-term cohort studies who can share sleep, fitness, and cognitive data.
Not a fit: People with advanced dementia or those without midlife sleep or fitness information are unlikely to benefit directly from this project.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could point to midlife sleep and fitness targets that lower Alzheimer's risk or delay memory decline.
How similar studies have performed: Previous studies have linked sleep problems and low fitness to higher Alzheimer's risk, but combining decades of objective sleep, fitness, and biomarker timing is relatively novel.
Where this research is happening
Madison, United States
- University of Wisconsin-Madison — Madison, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Okonkwo, Ozioma C — University of Wisconsin-Madison
- Study coordinator: Okonkwo, Ozioma C
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 below.