Sleep fragmentation, 24-hr rest-activity patterns, and cognitive function in premanifest Huntington's disease: An
Emily S Fitzgerald1, Yifat Glikmann-Johnston1, Jessica E Manousakis1
1Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health, School of Psychological Sciences, Monash University.
Neuropsychology
|March 3, 2025
Summary
Sleep fragmentation and disrupted rest-activity patterns are linked to cognitive decline in premanifest Huntington's disease (Pre-HD). Maintaining uninterrupted sleep is crucial for preserving cognitive function in individuals at risk for HD.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Sleep Medicine
- Cognitive Science
Background:
- Huntington's disease (HD) is a neurodegenerative disorder.
- Pre-HD individuals experience cognitive symptoms, sleep disturbances, and altered activity patterns years before diagnosis.
- The relationship between sleep/activity patterns and cognition in Pre-HD is not well understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between rest-activity patterns, sleep quality, and cognitive performance in Pre-HD.
- To compare these patterns between Pre-HD individuals and healthy controls (HCs).
Main Methods:
- 14-day actigraphy for sleep and activity monitoring.
- Online questionnaires for sleep quality and insomnia assessment.
- Remote cognitive assessments including tests of processing speed, memory, and executive function.
Main Results:
- Pre-HD participants showed poorer performance on Speeded Tapping compared to HCs.
- Increased sleep fragmentation in Pre-HD correlated with worse performance on the Trail Making Test (TMT) and Hopkins Verbal Learning Test-Revised (HVLT-R).
- More stable, less fragmented rest-activity patterns (higher interdaily stability) were associated with poorer performance across multiple cognitive tests, including TMT Part B and HVLT-R.
Conclusions:
- Uninterrupted sleep is vital for cognitive function in Pre-HD.
- Sleep and activity patterns represent potential targets for interventions to mitigate cognitive symptoms in Pre-HD.
- Further research with larger, stratified cohorts is needed to fully understand these relationships across the premanifest HD spectrum.
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