scholarly journals Sleep disturbance: an emerging opportunity for Alzheimer's disease prevention?

2016 ◽  
Vol 29 (4) ◽  
pp. 529-531 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adam P. Spira ◽  
Rebecca F. Gottesman
Keyword(s):  
Alzheimer’S Disease ◽  
Alzheimer's Disease ◽  
Cognitive Decline ◽  
Sleep Disturbances ◽  
Sleep Disordered Breathing ◽  
Later Life ◽  
Optimal Timing ◽  
Modifiable Risk Factors ◽  
Dementia Prevalence ◽  
Ad Prevention

As the older segment of our population grows, cognitive decline and dementia will increase in prevalence, with Alzheimer's disease (AD) as the cause in most cases. Until a cure exists, prevention through the identification and manipulation of modifiable risk factors for dementia, in general, or AD, in particular, will be our only means of reducing dementia prevalence or delaying its onset. Furthermore, it is likely that eventual treatments for AD, when available, will depend on the ability to identify individuals at greatest risk for developing AD. Sleep disturbances are common in later life – roughly half of older adults experience regular insomnia (Ohayon, 2002) and about as many have some degree of sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) (Ancoli-Israel et al., 1991) – and accumulating evidence suggests they may contribute to cognitive decline, at least in part, by promoting the development of AD pathology (Spira et al., 2014). Because they are treatable, sleep disturbances are an important potential target for ongoing study in AD prevention. Moreover, understanding the mechanisms underlying an effect of sleep on subsequent cognitive decline and AD would allow for better identification of opportunities and optimal timing for treatment of sleep disorders, and ultimately perhaps, AD prevention.

Spiritual Factors in the Experience of Alzheimer's Disease and Other Dementias

2015 ◽  
pp. 230-253
Author(s):  
Elizabeth MacKinlay ◽  
Corinne Trevitt
Keyword(s):  
Alzheimer’S Disease ◽  
Alzheimer's Disease ◽  
Mixed Methods ◽  
Cognitive Decline ◽  
Later Life ◽  
Aged Care ◽  
Residential Aged Care ◽  
Meaningful Life ◽  
Diagnosis Of Dementia ◽  
The Face

Alzheimer's disease and other dementias raise important questions of personhood and connection for those affected. Finding meaning in the face of dementia is one of the most challenging aspects of dementia; spiritual reminiscence is a way of connecting with those with dementia when their cognitive decline seems to preclude them from participating in a meaningful life. In this chapter a context for spirituality in later life is given through description of the spiritual tasks and process of ageing. This leads to presentation of work based on a mixed methods study of 113 people in residential aged care with a diagnosis of dementia who participated in either six or 24 weeks of weekly sessions of guided spiritual reminiscence (MacKinlay & Trevitt, 2012). Relationship was found to be almost synonymous with meaning for these people. Other important themes identified were vulnerability and transcendence, wisdom, hope, despair, and response to meaning.

Spiritual Factors in the Experience of Alzheimer's Disease and Other Dementias

2020 ◽  
pp. 334-357
Author(s):  
Elizabeth MacKinlay ◽  
Corinne Trevitt
Keyword(s):  
Alzheimer’S Disease ◽  
Alzheimer's Disease ◽  
Mixed Methods ◽  
Cognitive Decline ◽  
Later Life ◽  
Aged Care ◽  
Residential Aged Care ◽  
Meaningful Life ◽  
Diagnosis Of Dementia ◽  
The Face

Alzheimer's disease and other dementias raise important questions of personhood and connection for those affected. Finding meaning in the face of dementia is one of the most challenging aspects of dementia; spiritual reminiscence is a way of connecting with those with dementia when their cognitive decline seems to preclude them from participating in a meaningful life. In this chapter a context for spirituality in later life is given through description of the spiritual tasks and process of ageing. This leads to presentation of work based on a mixed methods study of 113 people in residential aged care with a diagnosis of dementia who participated in either six or 24 weeks of weekly sessions of guided spiritual reminiscence (MacKinlay & Trevitt, 2012). Relationship was found to be almost synonymous with meaning for these people. Other important themes identified were vulnerability and transcendence, wisdom, hope, despair, and response to meaning.

scholarly journals Role of nurses in addressing modifiable risk factors for early Alzheimer's disease and mild cognitive impairment

2020 ◽  
Vol 29 (8) ◽  
pp. 460-469 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kevin Hope
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factors ◽  
Alzheimer’S Disease ◽  
Alzheimer's Disease ◽  
Cognitive Impairment ◽  
Mild Cognitive Impairment ◽  
Cognitive Decline ◽  
Health Professionals ◽  
Current Evidence ◽  
Modifiable Risk Factors ◽  
Early Alzheimer’S Disease

A multidisciplinary advisory group of health professionals involved in dementia care assessed the current evidence base regarding modifiable risk factors (MRFs) for early Alzheimer's disease and mild cognitive impairment. Based on evidence from the published literature and clinical experience, MRFs in four areas were identified where there is evidence to support interventions that may help delay cognitive decline or reduce the risk of developing Alzheimer's disease: medical (eg cardiovascular risk factors), psychosocial (eg depression, anxiety, social isolation), lifestyle (eg lack of physical activity, smoking) and nutrition (eg poor diet, lack of micronutrients). Practical guidance on how health professionals, but in particular nurses, may actively seek to address these MRFs in clinical practice was also developed. Nurses are at the forefront of patient care and, as such, are ideally placed to offer advice to patients that may proactively help mitigate the risks of cognitive decline and the development of Alzheimer's disease.

scholarly journals Gray matter volume and estimated brain age gap are not associated with sleep-disordered breathing in subjects from the ADNI cohort

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bahram Mohajer ◽  
Nooshin Abbasi ◽  
Esmaeil Mohammadi ◽  
Habibolah Khazaie ◽  
Ricardo S. Osorio ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Alzheimer’S Disease ◽  
Alzheimer's Disease ◽  
Cognitive Decline ◽  
Gray Matter ◽  
Sleep Disordered Breathing ◽  
Brain Aging ◽  
Gray Matter Volume ◽  
Cognitive Status ◽  
Matter Volume ◽  
Disordered Breathing

AbstractAlzheimer’s disease (AD) and sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) are prevalent conditions with rising burden. It is suggested that SDB may contribute to cognitive decline and advanced aging. Here, we assessed the link between self-reported SDB and gray matter volume in patients with AD, mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and healthy controls (HC). We further investigated whether SDB was associated with advanced brain aging. We included a total of 330 participants, divided based on self-reported history of SDB, and matched across diagnoses for age, sex and presence of the ApoE4 allele, from the Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative. Gray-matter volume was measured using voxel-wise morphometry and differences reflecting SDB, cognitive status, and their interaction were evaluated. Further, using an age-prediction model fitted on gray-matter data of external datasets, we predicted study participants’ age from their structural scans. Cognitive decline (MCI/AD diagnosis) and advanced age were associated with lower gray matter volume in various regions, particularly in the bilateral temporal lobes. BrainAGE was well predicted from the morphological data in HC and, as expected, elevated in MCI and particularly in AD. However, there was neither a significant difference between regional gray matter volume in any diagnostic group related to the SDB status nor an SDB-by-cognitive status interaction. Also, we found neither a significant difference in BrainAGE gap (estimated - chronological age) related to SDB nor an SDB-by-cognitive status interaction. In summary, contrary to our expectations, we were not able to find a general nor a diagnostic specific effect on either gray-matter volumetric or brain aging.Statement of significanceDementia syndromes including Alzheimer’s disease (AD), are a major global concern, and unraveling modifiable predisposing risk factors is indispensable. Sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) and its most prevalent form, obstructive sleep apnea, are suggested as modifiable risk factors of AD, but their contribution to AD hallmarks, like brain atrophy and advanced brain aging, is not clear to this day. While self-reported SDB is suggested to propagate aging process and cognitive decline to AD in clinical studies, here, we demonstrated that, SDB might not necessarily associate to brain atrophy and the advanced brain aging assessed by morphological data, in AD progession. However, multimodal longitudinal studies with polysomnographic assessment of SDB are needed to confirm such fundings.

scholarly journals Association of Sleep Disturbances and Cognitive Decline among Cognitively Normal Elders Over Time

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wei Feng ◽  
Mandela William Nzoyoum Kuetche ◽  
Meng Zhang ◽  
MengMeng Liu ◽  
Deginet Aklilu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Alzheimer’S Disease ◽  
Alzheimer's Disease ◽  
Cognitive Function ◽  
Cognitive Decline ◽  
Regression Models ◽  
Sleep Disturbances ◽  
Amyloid Pet ◽  
Longitudinal Impact ◽  
Cognitively Normal ◽  
Over Time

Abstract Background: While sleep disturbances (SD) has been shown to be associated with worse cognition, but the causal relationship between the two subjects to debate. Our objective was to investigate the longitudinal impact of SD on cognitive function.Objective: To determine the effect of self-reported clinical diagnosis of SD on longitudinal changes in brain amyloid-PET, CSF-biomarkers (Aβ42, T-tau and P-tau) and cognitive function in cognitively normal.Methods: A total of 463 cognitively normal elders (357 normal and 106 SD) were included. Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI) participants were collected from 2005 to 2020. The generalized linear mixed models adjusting variables which were selected by the Akaike Information Criterion (AIC) and the marginal effect estimation method was used to estimate the risk effect of SD. Cox proportional hazards regression models estimated the relative hazard of Alzheimer’s Disease (AD), among baseline SD patients.Results: The age range of participants was 73.60±5.71 years old, and the female proportion was 43.63%. In adjusted regression models, Participants with baseline SD had higher likelihood of developing worse cognition over subsequent follow-up, PACC (decrease 7.53 points [95%CI, 7.36-7.70]; P<0.001), MMSE (decrease 5.26 points [95%CI, 5.17-5.35]; P<0.001), and CDR–Sum of Boxes (increase 5.61 points [95%CI, 5.67-5.54]; P=0.001). Similarly, Cox regression analysis suggested that sleep disturbances is a risk factor of AD (HR=1.55, 95% CI=1.08 to 2.22).Conclusion: SD probably is a warning sign of AD, because it is associated with greater likelihood of cognitive decline or dementia over time. Associations are likely multifactorial and could be explained by intervening variables in the path from SD to dementia, or by common risk factors for pathological processes in brain. These findings suggest need for more attentions of older adults with sleep compromise.

scholarly journals Plasma Total Tau and Neurobehavioral Symptoms of Cognitive Decline in Cognitively Normal Older Adults

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
James R. Hall ◽  
Melissa Petersen ◽  
Leigh Johnson ◽  
Sid E. O’Bryant
Keyword(s):  
Alzheimer’S Disease ◽  
Older Adults ◽  
Alzheimer's Disease ◽  
Cognitive Decline ◽  
Significant Relationship ◽  
Sleep Disturbances ◽  
Cognitively Normal ◽  
Total Tau ◽  
Neurobehavioral Symptoms ◽  
The Impact

Depression and related neurobehavioral symptoms are common features of Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias. The presence of these potentially modifiable neurobehavioral symptoms in cognitively intact older adults may represent an early indication of pathophysiological processes in the brain. Tau pathology is a key feature of a number of dementias. A number of studies have found an association between tau and neurobehavioral symptoms. The current study investigated the relationship of a blood-based biomarker of tau and symptoms of depression, anxiety, worry, and sleep disturbances in 538 community based, cognitively normal older adults. Logistic regression revealed no significant relationship between plasma total tau and any measures of neurobehavioral symptoms. To assess the impact of level of tau on these relationships, participants were divided into those in the highest quintile of tau and those in the lower four quintiles. Regression analyses showed a significant relationship between level of plasma total tau and measures of depression, apathy, anxiety, worry and sleep. The presence of higher levels of plasma tau and elevated neurobehavioral symptoms may be an early indicator of cognitive decline and prodromal Alzheimer’s disease. Longitudinal research is needed to evaluate the impact of these factors on the development of dementia and may suggest areas for early intervention.

scholarly journals Are neuropsychiatric symptoms modifiable risk factors for cognitive decline in Alzheimer's disease and vascular dementia?

2019 ◽  
Vol 216 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-3 ◽  
Author(s):  
George Savulich ◽  
John T. O'Brien ◽  
Barbara J. Sahakian
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factors ◽  
Alzheimer’S Disease ◽  
Alzheimer's Disease ◽  
Cognitive Decline ◽  
Vascular Dementia ◽  
Early Identification ◽  
Neuropsychiatric Symptoms ◽  
Anxiety And Depression ◽  
Modifiable Risk Factors ◽  
Cognitive Symptoms

SummaryAlzheimer's disease and vascular dementia are associated with overlapping symptoms of anxiety and depression. More accurate discrimination between emerging neuropsychiatric and cognitive symptoms would better assist illness detection. The potential for protection against cognitive decline and dementia following early identification and intervention of neuropsychiatric symptoms warrants investigation.

scholarly journals Is Sleep Disruption a Cause or Consequence of Alzheimer’s Disease? Reviewing Its Possible Role as a Biomarker

2020 ◽  
Vol 21 (3) ◽  
pp. 1168 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria-Angeles Lloret ◽  
Ana Cervera-Ferri ◽  
Mariana Nepomuceno ◽  
Paloma Monllor ◽  
Daniel Esteve ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Alzheimer’S Disease ◽  
Alzheimer's Disease ◽  
Cognitive Decline ◽  
Cognitive Processing ◽  
Memory Consolidation ◽  
Sleep Disturbances ◽  
Sleep Disruption ◽  
High Prevalence ◽  
Sleep Microstructure ◽  
Sleep Alterations

In recent years, the idea that sleep is critical for cognitive processing has gained strength. Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the most common form of dementia worldwide and presents a high prevalence of sleep disturbances. However, it is difficult to establish causal relations, since a vicious circle emerges between different aspects of the disease. Nowadays, we know that sleep is crucial to consolidate memory and to remove the excess of beta-amyloid and hyperphosphorilated tau accumulated in AD patients’ brains. In this review, we discuss how sleep disturbances often precede in years some pathological traits, as well as cognitive decline, in AD. We describe the relevance of sleep to memory consolidation, focusing on changes in sleep patterns in AD in contrast to normal aging. We also analyze whether sleep alterations could be useful biomarkers to predict the risk of developing AD and we compile some sleep-related proposed biomarkers. The relevance of the analysis of the sleep microstructure is highlighted to detect specific oscillatory patterns that could be useful as AD biomarkers.

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