Sleep Traits and Cognitive Function: A Prospective Cohort Study With Exploration of Inflammatory Biomarkers

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Sleep Science
• Cognitive Psychology

Background:

• Sleep disturbances are strongly associated with cognitive impairment, but the specific sleep characteristics and underlying mechanisms remain unclear.
• Inflammation is implicated in cognitive decline, yet its role in mediating the sleep-cognition relationship requires further elucidation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between various sleep features and domain-specific cognitive impairments using UK Biobank data.
• To explore the mediating role of inflammation, specifically C-reactive protein (CRP), in the relationship between sleep disturbances and cognitive function.

Main Methods:

• Utilized linear and logistic regression models to analyze sleep features (duration, quality, work shift) against cognitive tests (reasoning, reaction time, memory).
• Employed bootstrap mediation and Mendelian randomization analyses to assess causal pathways and the mediating effect of CRP.

Main Results:

• Short and long sleep durations were linked to poorer numeric memory.
• Moderate sleep quality and work shifts correlated with impairments in reasoning, reaction time, visual, and prospective memory.
• C-reactive protein (CRP) partially mediated the association between snoring and impaired reasoning, with snoring increasing CRP levels.

Conclusions:

• Abnormal sleep traits are associated with specific cognitive deficits.
• CRP plays a partial mediating role in the relationship between snoring and impaired reasoning, highlighting inflammation's impact on cognition.