Longitudinal trajectories of spectral power during sleep in middle-aged and older adults
Age-related changes in sleep appear to contribute to cognitive aging and dementia. However, most of the current understanding of sleep across the lifespan is based on cross-sectional evidence. Using data from the Sleep Heart Health Study, we investigated longitudinal changes in sleep micro-architect...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Elsevier
2023-01-01
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| Series: | Aging Brain |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2589958922000305 |
| _version_ | 1797795246664318976 |
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| author | Chenlu Gao Michael K. Scullin |
| author_facet | Chenlu Gao Michael K. Scullin |
| author_sort | Chenlu Gao |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Age-related changes in sleep appear to contribute to cognitive aging and dementia. However, most of the current understanding of sleep across the lifespan is based on cross-sectional evidence. Using data from the Sleep Heart Health Study, we investigated longitudinal changes in sleep micro-architecture, focusing on whether such age-related changes are experienced uniformly across individuals. Participants were 2,202 adults (ageBaseline = 62.40 ± 10.38, 55.36 % female, 87.92 % White) who completed home polysomnography assessment at two study visits, which were 5.23 years apart (range: 4–7 years). We analyzed NREM and REM spectral power density for each 0.5 Hz frequency bin, including slow oscillation (0.5–1 Hz), delta (1–4 Hz), theta (4–8 Hz), alpha (8–12 Hz), sigma (12–15 Hz), and beta-1 (15–20 Hz) bands. Longitudinal comparisons showed a 5-year decline in NREM delta (p <.001) and NREM sigma power density (p <.001) as well as a 5-year increase in theta power density during NREM (p =.001) and power density for all frequency bands during REM sleep (ps < 0.05). In contrast to the notion that sleep declines linearly with advancing age, longitudinal trajectories varied considerably across individuals. Within individuals, the 5-year changes in NREM and REM power density were strongly correlated (slow oscillation: r = 0.46; delta: r = 0.67; theta r = 0.78; alpha r = 0.66; sigma: r = 0.71; beta-1: r = 0.73; ps < 0.001). The convergence in the longitudinal trajectories of NREM and REM activity may reflect age-related neural de-differentiation and/or compensation processes. Future research should investigate the neurocognitive implications of longitudinal changes in sleep micro-architecture and test whether interventions for improving key sleep micro-architecture features (such as NREM delta and sigma activity) also benefit cognition over time. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-13T03:15:02Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-70c437177bc8405c826f0eff3da0914a |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2589-9589 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-13T03:15:02Z |
| publishDate | 2023-01-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Aging Brain |
| spelling | doaj.art-70c437177bc8405c826f0eff3da0914a2023-06-26T04:14:20ZengElsevierAging Brain2589-95892023-01-013100058Longitudinal trajectories of spectral power during sleep in middle-aged and older adultsChenlu Gao0Michael K. Scullin1Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Baylor University, Waco, TX, USA; Division of Sleep and Circadian Disorders, Departments of Medicine and Neurology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, MA, USA; Division of Sleep Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA; Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA; Corresponding author at: Brigham and Women's Hospital, 221 Longwood Ave, BL-035 Boston, MA 02115, USA.Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Baylor University, Waco, TX, USAAge-related changes in sleep appear to contribute to cognitive aging and dementia. However, most of the current understanding of sleep across the lifespan is based on cross-sectional evidence. Using data from the Sleep Heart Health Study, we investigated longitudinal changes in sleep micro-architecture, focusing on whether such age-related changes are experienced uniformly across individuals. Participants were 2,202 adults (ageBaseline = 62.40 ± 10.38, 55.36 % female, 87.92 % White) who completed home polysomnography assessment at two study visits, which were 5.23 years apart (range: 4–7 years). We analyzed NREM and REM spectral power density for each 0.5 Hz frequency bin, including slow oscillation (0.5–1 Hz), delta (1–4 Hz), theta (4–8 Hz), alpha (8–12 Hz), sigma (12–15 Hz), and beta-1 (15–20 Hz) bands. Longitudinal comparisons showed a 5-year decline in NREM delta (p <.001) and NREM sigma power density (p <.001) as well as a 5-year increase in theta power density during NREM (p =.001) and power density for all frequency bands during REM sleep (ps < 0.05). In contrast to the notion that sleep declines linearly with advancing age, longitudinal trajectories varied considerably across individuals. Within individuals, the 5-year changes in NREM and REM power density were strongly correlated (slow oscillation: r = 0.46; delta: r = 0.67; theta r = 0.78; alpha r = 0.66; sigma: r = 0.71; beta-1: r = 0.73; ps < 0.001). The convergence in the longitudinal trajectories of NREM and REM activity may reflect age-related neural de-differentiation and/or compensation processes. Future research should investigate the neurocognitive implications of longitudinal changes in sleep micro-architecture and test whether interventions for improving key sleep micro-architecture features (such as NREM delta and sigma activity) also benefit cognition over time.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2589958922000305Sleep Heart Health StudySleep micro-architectureCognitionDementiaPolysomnography |
| spellingShingle | Chenlu Gao Michael K. Scullin Longitudinal trajectories of spectral power during sleep in middle-aged and older adults Aging Brain Sleep Heart Health Study Sleep micro-architecture Cognition Dementia Polysomnography |
| title | Longitudinal trajectories of spectral power during sleep in middle-aged and older adults |
| title_full | Longitudinal trajectories of spectral power during sleep in middle-aged and older adults |
| title_fullStr | Longitudinal trajectories of spectral power during sleep in middle-aged and older adults |
| title_full_unstemmed | Longitudinal trajectories of spectral power during sleep in middle-aged and older adults |
| title_short | Longitudinal trajectories of spectral power during sleep in middle-aged and older adults |
| title_sort | longitudinal trajectories of spectral power during sleep in middle aged and older adults |
| topic | Sleep Heart Health Study Sleep micro-architecture Cognition Dementia Polysomnography |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2589958922000305 |
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