NREM sleep as a novel protective cognitive reserve factor in the face of Alzheimer's disease pathology.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Alzheimer's disease (AD) pathology impairs cognitive function. Yet some individuals with high amounts of AD pathology suffer marked memory impairment, while others with the same degree of pathology burden show little impairment. Why is this? One proposed explanation is cognitive reserve i.e., factors that confer resilience against, or compensation for the effects of AD pathology. Deep NREM slow wave sleep (SWS) is recognized to enhance functions of learning and memory in healthy older adults. However, that the quality of NREM SWS (NREM slow wave activity, SWA) represents a novel cognitive reserve factor in older adults with AD pathology, thereby providing compensation against memory dysfunction otherwise caused by high AD pathology burden, remains unknown.

Methods

SUBMITTER: Zavecz Z 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10155344 | biostudies-literature | 2023 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature