Lack of sleep and Alzheimer’s disease are linked.
REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA — Studies show the number of bedtime the right way can reduce the risk of disease alzheimer early. The number of hours of sleep is mentioned not too much, and not too little.
“Sleep deprivation and Alzheimer’s disease are both associated with decreased cognitive thinking,” said David Holtzman, researcher and professor of neurology at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. USNews on Saturday (23/10).
The new study involved 100 adults with cognitive function who were monitored for an average of 4.5 years. The participants underwent the sleep study at an average age of 75 years. They were tested for the high-risk Alzheimer’s genetic variant APOE4, and for levels of the Alzheimer’s protein in the cerebrospinal fluid.
A total of 88 participants had no cognitive impairment, while 11 participants had very mild impairment, and one person had mild impairment. Overall, cognitive scores decreased for those who slept less, by 5.5 or more than 7.5 hours per night. While scores remained stable for those in the middle of the range.
“It was interesting to see that not only those who slept for short periods of time but also those who slept for long periods experienced more cognitive decline. This suggests that sleep quality may be key,” he said.
According to research published in October in the journal Brain, the link between sleep and mental decline was proven correct after researchers adjusted for factors that could affect sleep and cognition, such as age, gender, Alzheimer’s protein levels, and the presence of APOE4. The findings could help keep people’s minds sharp as they age.
“Our study shows that there is a middle range or ‘sweet spot’ for total sleep time, where cognitive performance stabilizes over time. Short and long sleep times are associated with poorer cognitive performance,” he said.
He added, there is something that has not been solved, namely if it can intervene to improve sleep quality such as increasing sleep time for people who sleep short. Researchers have not found the impact of increased sleep hours on cognitive performance.
“Further research is needed to answer that question,” he said.
– .
