Abstract
The relationship between habitual sleep and cognition in older adults with sleep complaints is poorly understood, because
research has focused on younger adults, used experimental or retrospective quasi-experimental designs, and generally produced
equivocal results. Prospective studies using sleep diaries are rare, but may provide important insights into this relationship
as they offer greater ecological validity and allow for examination of the impact of night-to-night variability in sleep (an
often overlooked aspect of sleep) on cognitive performance. Seventy-two older adults (M
age = 70.18 years, SDage = 7.09 years) completed fourteen consecutive days of sleep diaries and paper/pencil self-administered cognitive tasks, including
measures of processing speed (Symbol Digit) and reasoning (Letter Series). Regression analyses revealed increased average
total wake time (TWT) during the night was associated with higher Symbol Digit scores, β = 0.45, P < 0.05. Night-to-night variability in either total sleep time (TST) or TWT was not associated with either cognitive measure.
Implications and potential explanations for these initially counterintuitive findings are discussed.
research has focused on younger adults, used experimental or retrospective quasi-experimental designs, and generally produced
equivocal results. Prospective studies using sleep diaries are rare, but may provide important insights into this relationship
as they offer greater ecological validity and allow for examination of the impact of night-to-night variability in sleep (an
often overlooked aspect of sleep) on cognitive performance. Seventy-two older adults (M
age = 70.18 years, SDage = 7.09 years) completed fourteen consecutive days of sleep diaries and paper/pencil self-administered cognitive tasks, including
measures of processing speed (Symbol Digit) and reasoning (Letter Series). Regression analyses revealed increased average
total wake time (TWT) during the night was associated with higher Symbol Digit scores, β = 0.45, P < 0.05. Night-to-night variability in either total sleep time (TST) or TWT was not associated with either cognitive measure.
Implications and potential explanations for these initially counterintuitive findings are discussed.
- Content Type Journal Article
- Category Original Article
- Pages 1-9
- DOI 10.1007/s10608-011-9425-4
- Authors
- Christina S. McCrae, Department of Clinical and Health Psychology, University of Florida, PO Box 100165 (HSC), 101 S. Newell Drive, Gainesville, FL 32610-0165, USA
- Karlyn E. Vatthauer, Department of Clinical and Health Psychology, University of Florida, PO Box 100165 (HSC), 101 S. Newell Drive, Gainesville, FL 32610-0165, USA
- Joseph M. Dzierzewski, Department of Clinical and Health Psychology, University of Florida, PO Box 100165 (HSC), 101 S. Newell Drive, Gainesville, FL 32610-0165, USA
- Michael Marsiske, Department of Clinical and Health Psychology, University of Florida, PO Box 100165 (HSC), 101 S. Newell Drive, Gainesville, FL 32610-0165, USA
- Journal Cognitive Therapy and Research
- Online ISSN 1573-2819
- Print ISSN 0147-5916