Related Experiment Video
Updated: Nov 6, 2025

Measuring Neural Mechanisms Underlying Sleep-Dependent Memory Consolidation During Naps in Early Childhood
Published on: October 2, 2019
Later-life sleep, cognition, and neuroimaging research: an update for 2020
Alfonso J Alfini1, Marian Tzuang1, Jocelynn T Owusu2
1Department of Mental Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA.
Abstract:
This review summarizes recent studies of sleep and brain health in later life, focusing on cognitive and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-derived outcomes. The majority of older people report sleep problems, and over one-third have sleep-disordered breathing (SDB). The research described herein builds on work demonstrating that abnormal sleep duration, sleep fragmentation, and SDB are associated with memory impairment and executive dysfunction. Self-reported short sleep is linked with greater cortical thinning and lower white matter integrity, and objectively measured fragmentation and SDB are tied to gray matter atrophy and altered connectivity. Results suggest that brain changes mediate previously identified sleep-cognition associations. Additional clinical trials are needed to determine whether treating insomnia or SDB benefits cognition in this population.
More Related Videos
06:23A Chronic Sleep Fragmentation Model using Vibrating Orbital Rotor to Induce Cognitive Deficit and Anxiety-Like Behavior in Young Wild-Type Mice
Published on: September 22, 2020
08:44Electrocorticographic Recording of Cerebral Cortex Areas Manipulated Using an Adeno-Associated Virus Targeting Cofilin in Mice
Published on: February 21, 2021
Related Concept Videos
Understanding Sleep
The circadian rhythm, a nearly 24-hour cycle, is deeply influenced by environmental light cues. Light exposure directly affects the hypothalamus, which in turn regulates...
Stages of Sleep
Before sleep begins, in wakefulness, the brain exhibits primarily beta waves, which are high in frequency and low in amplitude, indicating alertness...
Sleep-Wake Cycles
NREM Sleep
NREM sleep comprises four progressive stages that seamlessly merge:
Lucid Dreaming
Studies have shown...
Narcolepsy
Substance Use Disorders Affecting Sleep
Understanding the concepts of physical dependence,...