Understanding how sleep affects memory in older adults

What is Sleep's Role in Alzheimer's Disease? Insight From Healthy Aging

This study is testing how sleep affects memory in older adults to see if better sleep can help them remember things more effectively.

Quick facts

• Phase: NA
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 584 (estimated)
• Ages: 18 Years to 80 Years
• Sex: All
• Sponsor: University of Massachusetts, Amherst (other)
• Locations: 1 site (Amherst, Massachusetts)
• Trial ID: NCT03840083 on ClinicalTrials.gov

What this trial studies

This research aims to explore the relationship between sleep and memory in aging individuals by examining how sleep impacts memory consolidation. The study will involve several experiments, including neuroimaging to assess brain activity during memory tasks and the effects of sleep on memory retention. Participants will be young and older adults, and the study will analyze various aspects of memory encoding and decay following sleep and wake intervals. The goal is to determine whether age-related changes in sleep and memory contribute to deficits in sleep-dependent memory processing.

Who should consider this trial

Good fit: Ideal candidates are healthy adults aged 18-80 who have no diagnosed sleep or neurodegenerative disorders.

Not a fit: Patients with a history of sleep disorders or significant sleep issues may not benefit from this study.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: If successful, this study could lead to improved strategies for enhancing memory in older adults through better sleep management.

How similar studies have performed: While there have been studies on sleep and memory, this specific approach focusing on aging and sleep-dependent memory consolidation is relatively novel.

Eligibility criteria

Inclusion Criteria:

* Age 18-80 yrs
* Healthy sleeper
* No diagnosed sleep or neurodegenerative disorder

Exclusion Criteria:

1. Past diagnosis of any sleep disorder or evidence of a sleep disorder as assessed by self-reported sleep quality assessments, a standardized diagnostic interview, and an acclimation night of polysomnography. Using acclimation-night polysomnography, participants will be excluded with an Apnea-Hypopnea Index \>15; a Period-Limb Movement in Sleep index of \>15/hr; sleep-onset latency \> 45 min (indicative of insomnia); or sleep efficiency \< 80% (see Edinger et al., Sleep, 2004). In cases in which questions arise regarding a participants' inclusion or sleep records, a practicing neurologist board-certified in sleep medicine will review the documentation.
2. Past diagnosis neurological illness or head injury
3. Reported average sleep per night \< 5 or \> 9 hrs
4. Current employment involving shift work or an inability to keep a regular sleep schedule during the week prior to testing
5. Current use of psychotropic, recreational drugs, or sleep-altering medications (sleep medications, cold medicines within the past week, clonidine, sympathomimetic stimulants)
6. Daily caffeine intake of \> 4 cups (coffee, tea, colas)
7. Weekly alcohol intake of \> 10 cups
8. Pregnancy or \< 12 months post-partum
9. History of bipolar disorder, mania, or current evidence of depression as measured by Beck Depression Inventory score \> 25
10. Abnormal sleep (e.g., shift work, travel across \>2 time zones within the past 3 months).
11. Diagnosis of any Axis I disorder, neurological illness or head injury (according to Demographic and Health History form);
12. Score indicative of cognitive dysfunction (subtest scores \< 40)
13. Beck Depression Scale score indicative of depression (\> 19).

Additionally, individuals will be excluded from magnetic resonance imaging studies (Exps 1, 4) for:

1. Left handed or ambidextrous
2. Claustrophobia
3. Presence of metal (thoroughly screened via questionnaire and metal detector)
4. Pregnancy

Where this trial is running

Amherst, Massachusetts

• University of Massachusetts — Amherst, Massachusetts, United States (RECRUITING)

Conditions: Sleep