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The relationship between sleep-wake cycle and cognitive functioning in young people with affective disorders
Joanne S Carpenter1, Rébecca Robillard1, Rico S C Lee1
1Clinical Research Unit, Brain & Mind Research Institute, University of Sydney, Camperdown, NSW, Australia.
Young adults with affective disorders show varied sleep patterns linked to cognitive issues. Specific sleep profiles, like
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Psychiatry
- Sleep Medicine
Background:
- Early-stage affective disorders often involve cognitive and sleep disturbances.
- The precise relationship between sleep/circadian patterns and cognitive function in young adults with affective disorders remains under-examined.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify distinct sleep and circadian rhythm profiles in young individuals with affective disorders.
- To investigate the association between these identified profiles and cognitive performance.
Main Methods:
- Utilized actigraphy to monitor sleep and circadian parameters in 152 young patients (16-30 years) with affective disorders and 69 healthy controls.
- Conducted comprehensive neuropsychological assessments to evaluate cognitive functions.
- Employed hierarchical cluster analysis to define sleep and circadian profiles.
Main Results:
- Identified three sleep clusters ('long sleep', 'disrupted sleep', 'delayed and disrupted sleep') and three circadian clusters ('strong circadian', 'weak circadian', 'delayed circadian').
- Overall cognitive performance was poorer in patients, particularly in mental flexibility and visual memory.
- The 'long sleep' cluster demonstrated significantly worse visual memory compared to the 'disrupted sleep' cluster; medication use varied across clusters.
Conclusions:
- Young people with affective disorders exhibit heterogeneous sleep and circadian profiles.
- A potential link exists between specific sleep patterns and visual memory deficits, possibly influenced by antipsychotic medication.
- Findings suggest personalized treatment approaches to improve functioning in early-stage affective disorders.
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