Which Are the Most Reliable Sleep Parameters that Predict Cognitive Decline and Alzheimer’s Disease?

Article type: Article Commentary

Authors: Ferini-Strambi, Luigi^{; *}

Affiliations: IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute and Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, Milan, Italy

Correspondence: [*] Correspondence to: Professor Luigi Ferini-Strambi, Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, Via Stamira d’Ancona 20, 20127 Milan, Italy. E-mail: [email protected].

Abstract: Sleep disorders can represent an independent risk factor for cognitive decline and Alzheimer’s disease (AD). It remains to be clarified if specific sleep parameters could be considered biomarkers of AD-related neurodegeneration. Several studies solely investigated the results of cross-sectional research, without providing conclusive evidence. Few longitudinal studies showed some inconsistencies in macrostructural and microstructural sleep findings. Methodological heterogeneity among studies can explain the discrepancies in the results. Moreover, the polysomnographic findings are usually related to only one-night recording. The combination of actigraphic recordings with sleep EEG monitoring for some consecutive days should be considered in future research.

Keywords: Alzheimer’s disease, biomarkers, cognitive decline, sleep

DOI: 10.3233/JAD-231311

Journal: Journal of Alzheimer's Disease, vol. 97, no. 4, pp. 1641-1643, 2024