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The Mixed Role of Sleep and Time of Day in Working Memory Performance of Older Adults with Mild Cognitive Impairment

  • 0IPPS "Neuroscience and Neurodegeneration", Faculty of Medicine, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (AUTh), 54124 Thessaloniki, Greece.
Healthcare (basel, Switzerland) +

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August 29, 2024

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August 29, 2024

View abstract on PubMed

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Older adults with Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) perform better on working memory tasks in the morning after sleep. Afternoon testing significantly impairs cognitive updating performance in MCI patients.

Area Of Science

  • Gerontology
  • Cognitive Neuroscience
  • Sleep Science

Background

  • Adequate sleep is crucial for cognitive functions, with aging often associated with sleep disturbances.
  • Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) patients experience exacerbated sleep issues, potentially impacting cognitive performance.
  • Working memory (WM) capacity, encompassing storage, processing, and updating, is vital for daily functioning.

Purpose Of The Study

  • To investigate the combined effects of sleep and time of day on working memory components in older adults with MCI.
  • To compare MCI patients' performance on storage, processing, and updating WM tasks in morning versus afternoon conditions.

Main Methods

  • Fifty older adults diagnosed with MCI participated in the study.
  • The Working Memory Capacity & Updating Task from the R4Alz battery was administered twice.
  • Performance was assessed in two time conditions: morning (post-sleep) and afternoon (late post-sleep).

Main Results

  • A statistically significant improvement in working memory updating was observed in the morning condition (p < 0.001).
  • Performance on cognitively demanding tasks, specifically WM updating, was negatively affected by the afternoon time of day in MCI patients.

Conclusions

  • Afternoon time of day negatively impacts cognitive updating in MCI patients, likely due to sleep-related factors.
  • Findings suggest optimizing timing for cognitive rehabilitation programs and determining adequate sleep duration for MCI patients undertaking demanding cognitive activities.

Keywords:

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