Newswise \u2014 NEW ORLEANS \u2013 The amount and quality of sleep you get at night may affect your memory later in life, according to research that was released today and will be presented at the American Academy of Neurology\u2019s 64th Annual Meeting in New Orleans April 21 to April 28, 2012. <\/p>\n
\u201cDisrupted sleep appears to be associated with the build-up of amyloid plaques, a hallmark marker of Alzheimer\u2019s disease, in the brains of people without memory problems,\u201d said study author Yo-El Ju, MD, with Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis and a member of the American Academy of Neurology. \u201cFurther research is needed to determine why this is happening and whether sleep changes may predict cognitive decline.\u201d <\/p>\n
Researchers tested the sleep patterns of 100 people between the ages of 45 and 80 who were free of dementia. Half of the group had a family history of Alzheimer\u2019s disease. A device was placed on the participants for two weeks to measure sleep. Sleep diaries and questionnaires were also analyzed by researchers. <\/p>\n
After the study, it was discovered that 25 percent of the participants had evidence of amyloid plaques, which can appear years before the symptoms of Alzheimer\u2019s disease begin. The average time a person spent in bed during the study was about eight hours, but the average sleep time was 6.5 hours due to short awakenings in the night. <\/p>\n
The study found that people who woke up more than five times per hour were more likely to have amyloid plaque build-up compared to people who didn\u2019t wake up as much. The study also found those people who slept \u201cless efficiently\u201d were more likely to have the markers of early stage Alzheimer\u2019s disease than those who slept more efficiently. In other words, those who spent less than 85 percent of their time in bed actually sleeping were more likely to have the markers than those who spent more than 85 percent of their time in bed actually sleeping. <\/p>\n
\u201cThe association between disrupted sleep and amyloid plaques is intriguing, but the information from this study can\u2019t determine a cause-effect relationship or the direction of this relationship. We need longer-term studies, following individuals\u2019 sleep over years, to determine whether disrupted sleep leads to amyloid plaques, or whether brain changes in early Alzheimer\u2019s disease lead to changes in sleep,\u201d Ju said. \u201cOur study lays the groundwork for investigating whether manipulating sleep is a possible strategy in the prevention or slowing of Alzheimer disease.\u201d <\/p>\n
Learn more about sleep disorders and Alzheimer\u2019s disease at http:\/\/www.aan.com\/patients<\/a>. <\/p>\n The study was supported by the Ellison Foundation and the National Institutes of Health. <\/p>\n The American Academy of Neurology, an association of more than 25,000 neurologists and neuroscience professionals, is dedicated to promoting the highest quality patient-centered neurologic care. A neurologist is a doctor with specialized training in diagnosing, treating and managing disorders of the brain and nervous system such as stroke, Alzheimer\u2019s disease, epilepsy, Parkinson\u2019s disease and multiple sclerosis. For more information about the American Academy of Neurology, visit http:\/\/www.aan.com<\/a> or find us on Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and YouTube. <\/p>\n Comment\/Share See the rest here: Newswise \u2014 NEW ORLEANS \u2013 The amount and quality of sleep you get at night may affect your memory later in life, according to research that was released today and will be presented at the American Academy of Neurology\u2019s 64th Annual Meeting in New Orleans April 21 to April 28, 2012. \u201cDisrupted sleep appears to be associated with the build-up of amyloid plaques, a hallmark marker of Alzheimer\u2019s disease, in the brains of people without memory problems,\u201d said study author Yo-El Ju, MD, with Washington University School of Medicine in St Continue reading
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\nTrouble Sleeping? It May Affect Your Memory Later On<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"