Related Experiment Video
Updated: Feb 22, 2026
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Measuring Neural Mechanisms Underlying Sleep-Dependent Memory Consolidation During Naps in Early Childhood
Published on: October 2, 2019
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Associations between sleep and episodic memory performance in a diverse adult lifespan community-based sample: The
Emily Hokett1, Patrick Lao1, Benjamin D Huber1
1Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer's Disease and the Aging Brain, College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, New York, USA; Gertrude H. Sergievsky Center, College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, New York, USA; Department of Neurology, College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, New York, USA.
Sleep Health
|February 20, 2026
Summary
Poor sleep quality and duration impact memory, particularly in Latinx adults. These sleep-memory associations were strongest in the Latinx group, highlighting ethnic disparities in cognitive health.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Neuroscience
- Sleep Science
- Health Disparities
Background:
- Non-Latinx Black and Latinx adults experience poorer sleep than non-Latinx White adults.
- The cognitive impacts of poor sleep in minority ethnic groups remain understudied.
- Hypothesized associations between sleep quality/duration and memory performance, varying by race/ethnicity.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between sleep quality, sleep duration, and memory performance.
- To examine if these associations differ across racial and ethnic groups (non-Latinx Black, non-Latinx White, Latinx).
Main Methods:
- Analysis of community-recruited adults in Northern Manhattan (Offspring study).
- Self-reported sleep quality (Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index) and duration.
- Memory assessment using the Buschke Selective Reminding Task.
- Multivariable regression to analyze sleep-memory associations.
Main Results:
- Better sleep quality correlated with improved delayed recall memory across all participants.
- Both linear and quadratic relationships were found between sleep duration and memory.
- Optimal sleep (quality and duration) was linked to better memory performance.
- The sleep-memory association was most pronounced in the Latinx group, absent in non-Latinx Black and White participants.
Conclusions:
- Significant associations exist between poor sleep (quality and duration) and memory performance in Latinx adults.
- Future research should explore psychosocial factors (e.g., discrimination, social support) influencing sleep disparities and cognitive outcomes.
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