Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Sleep, Cognition and Dementia

  • Sleep Disorders (P Gehrman, Section Editor)
  • Published:
Current Psychiatry Reports Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The older patient population is growing rapidly around the world and in the USA. Almost half of seniors over age 65 who live at home are dissatisfied with their sleep, and nearly two-thirds of those residing in nursing home facilities suffer from sleep disorders. Chronic and pervasive sleep complaints and disturbances are frequently associated with excessive daytime sleepiness and may result in impaired cognition, diminished intellect, poor memory, confusion, and psychomotor retardation all of which may be misinterpreted as dementia. The key sleep disorders impacting patients with dementia include insomnia, hypersomnolence, circadian rhythm misalignment, sleep disordered breathing, motor disturbances of sleep such as periodic leg movement disorder of sleep and restless leg syndrome, and parasomnias, mostly in the form of rapid eye movement (REM) sleep behavior disorder (RBD). RBD is a pre-clinical marker for a class of neurodegenerative diseases, the “synucleinopathies”, and requires formal polysomnographic evaluation. Untreated sleep disorders may exacerbate cognitive and behavioral symptoms in patients with dementia and are a source of considerable stress for bed partners and family members. When left untreated, sleep disturbances may also increase the risk of injury at night, compromise health-related quality of life, and precipitate and accelerate social and economic burdens for caregivers.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1

Similar content being viewed by others

References

Papers of particular interest, published recently, have been highlighted as: • Of importance •• Of major importance

  1. Bhatt MH, Podder N, Chokroverty S. Sleep and neurodegenerative diseases. Semin Neurol. 2005;25:39–51.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  2. Keage HA, Banks S, Yang KL, et al. What sleep characteristics predict cognitive decline in the elderly? Sleep Med. 2012;13:886–92.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  3. Scullin MK, Bliwise DL. Sleep, cognition, and normal aging: integrating a half century of multidisciplinary research. Perspect Psychol Sci. 2015;10:97–137. A nicely written article reviewing a perplexing question on whether the alterations in sleep physiology can impact cognition. The authors review 50 years of research across diverse experimental protocols concluding that maintenance of adequate sleep in younger-middle age promotes better cognitive functioning and may even be protective against age-dependent cognitive declines.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  4. Bliwise DL. Sleep in normal aging and dementia. Sleep. 1993;16:40–81.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  5. Bliwise DL. Sleep disorders in Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias. Clin Cornerstone. 2004;6(Suppl 1A):S16–28.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  6. Avidan AY. Sleep and neurologic problems in the elderly. Sleep Med Clin. 2006;1:273–92.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. Prince M, Bryce R, Albanese E, et al. The global prevalence of dementia: a systematic review and metaanalysis. Alzheimers Dement. 2013;9:63–75. e62.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  8. Wimo A, Jonsson L, Bond J, et al. The worldwide economic impact of dementia 2010. Alzheimers Dement. 2013;9:1–11. e13.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  9. Guarnieri B, Adorni F, Musicco M, et al. Prevalence of sleep disturbances in mild cognitive impairment and dementing disorders: a multicenter Italian clinical cross-sectional study on 431 patients. Dement Geriatr Cogn Disord. 2012;33:50–8.

    Article  PubMed Central  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  10. Guarnieri B, Musicco M, Caffarra P, et al. Recommendations of the Sleep Study Group of the Italian Dementia Research Association (SINDem) on clinical assessment and management of sleep disorders in individuals with mild cognitive impairment and dementia: a clinical review. Neurol Sci. 2014;35:1329–48.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  11. Landry GJ, Liu-Ambrose T. Buying time: a rationale for examining the use of circadian rhythm and sleep interventions to delay progression of mild cognitive impairment to Alzheimer’s disease. Front Aging Neurosci. 2014;6:325.

    Article  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  12. Cipriani G, Lucetti C, Danti S, Nuti A. Sleep disturbances and dementia. Psychogeriatrics. 2015;15:65–74. A timely review covering the etiology and consequences of and potential interventions for disrupted sleep in patients with dementia.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  13. Motohashi Y, Maeda A, Wakamatsu H, et al. Circadian rhythm abnormalities of wrist activity of institutionalized dependent elderly persons with dementia. J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci. 2000;55:M740–3.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  14. Pace-Schott EF, Spencer RM. Sleep-dependent memory consolidation in healthy aging and mild cognitive impairment. Curr Top Behav Neurosci. 2015;25:307–30.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  15. Lucey BP, Bateman RJ. Amyloid-beta diurnal pattern: possible role of sleep in Alzheimer’s disease pathogenesis. Neurobiol Aging. 2014;35 Suppl 2:S29–34. An important paper from the Washington University group examining the circadian patterns of Aβ concentrations, reviewing animal models that depict that changes in sleep time alter Aβ deposition. The investigators suggest that sleep may play an important role in AD pathogenesis, and propose a hypothetical model for examining the role of sleep and the Aβ diurnal pattern in promoting to the pathogenesis of AD.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  16. Redline S, Kirchner HL, Quan SF, et al. The effects of age, sex, ethnicity, and sleep-disordered breathing on sleep architecture. Arch Intern Med. 2004;164:406–18.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  17. Mander BA, Rao V, Lu B, et al. Prefrontal atrophy, disrupted NREM slow waves and impaired hippocampal-dependent memory in aging. Nat Neurosci. 2013;16:357–64.

    Article  PubMed Central  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  18. Mendelsohn AR, Larrick JW. Sleep facilitates clearance of metabolites from the brain: glymphatic function in aging and neurodegenerative diseases. Rejuvenation Res. 2013;16:518–23. A beautifully illustrated review summarizing the glymphatic system in humans which opens up new possibilities for the therapy and prevention of dementia. The paper illustrates how healthy sleep as a public health initiative in middle-aged and older people could play a vital role in protecting from and preventing the future development of AD, especially among those with the apolipoprotein E (ApoE) ɛ4 allele.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  19. Kress BT, Iliff JJ, Xia M, et al. Impairment of paravascular clearance pathways in the aging brain. Ann Neurol. 2014;76:845–61. A pivotal investigation proposing that an impaired glymphatic clearance could contribute to cognitive decline among older patients, which could constitute a novel therapeutic target for the management of neurodegenerative diseases associated with the abnormal accumulation of misfolded protein aggregates.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  20. Huang Y, Potter R, Sigurdson W, et al. Effects of age and amyloid deposition on Aβ dynamics in the human central nervous system. Arch Neurol. 2012;69:51–8. A succinct review, appraising the current literature related to the mechanisms by which disturbed sleep and circadian rhythms could play a role in the pathogenesis of AD. The authors discuss potential therapeutic strategies directed at these systems for the prevention of AD.

    Article  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  21. Roh JH, Huang Y, Bero AW, et al. Disruption of the sleep-wake cycle and diurnal fluctuation of beta-amyloid in mice with Alzheimer’s disease pathology. Sci Transl Med. 2012;4:150ra–122. In this comprehensive review, the authors argue that fluctuations in sleep-wake behavior and diurnal variations of Aβ in the CNS could be surrogate functional and biochemical biomarkers of Aβ -associated pathology. The authors suggest that abnormalities in sleep-wake rhythmicity should be explored given potential therapeutic opportunities.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  22. Kang JE, Lim MM, Bateman RJ, et al. Amyloid-beta dynamics are regulated by orexin and the sleep-wake cycle. Science. 2009;326:1005–7.

    Article  PubMed Central  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  23. Mander BA, Marks SM, Vogel JW et al. beta-amyloid disrupts human NREM slow waves and related hippocampus-dependent memory consolidation. Nat Neurosci 2015. Fascinating new data demonstrates amyloid pathology with non-REM sleep disruption and memory impairment in older adults and connecting disturbed sleep as a potential mechanism by which β-amyloid pathology could induce cognitive decline in older adults.

  24. Lee SD, Kang SH, Ju G, et al. The prevalence of and risk factors for sleep-disordered breathing in an elderly Korean population. Respiration. 2014;87:372–8.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  25. Olson EJ, Park JG, Morgenthaler TI. Obstructive sleep apnea-hypopnea syndrome. Prim Care. 2005;32:329–59.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  26. Sforza E, Roche F, Thomas-Anterion C, et al. Cognitive function and sleep related breathing disorders in a healthy elderly population: the SYNAPSE study. Sleep. 2010;33:515–21.

    PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  27. Carelli G, Krieger J, Calvi-Gries F, Macher JP. Periodic limb movements and obstructive sleep apneas before and after continuous positive airway pressure treatment. J Sleep Res. 1999;8:211–6.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  28. Berger K, Luedemann J, Trenkwalder C, et al. Sex and the risk of restless legs syndrome in the general population. Arch Intern Med. 2004;164:196–202.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  29. Trenkwalder C, Hening WA, Montagna P, et al. Treatment of restless legs syndrome: an evidence-based review and implications for clinical practice. Mov Disord. 2008;23:2267–302.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  30. Aurora RN, Zak RS, Maganti RK, et al. Best practice guide for the treatment of REM sleep behavior disorder (RBD). J Clin Sleep Med. 2010;6:85–95.

    PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  31. Malhotra R, Avidan AY. Neurodegenerative disease and REM behavior disorder. Curr Treat Options Neurol. 2012;14:474–92.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  32. Trotti LM. REM sleep behaviour disorder in older individuals: epidemiology, pathophysiology and management. Drugs Aging. 2010;27:457–70.

    Article  PubMed Central  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  33. Foley D, Monjan A, Masaki K, et al. Daytime sleepiness is associated with 3-year incident dementia and cognitive decline in older Japanese-American men. J Am Geriatr Soc. 2001;49:1628–32.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  34. Jaussent I, Bouyer J, Ancelin ML, et al. Excessive sleepiness is predictive of cognitive decline in the elderly. Sleep. 2012;35:1201–7.

    PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  35. Merlino G, Piani A, Gigli GL, et al. Daytime sleepiness is associated with dementia and cognitive decline in older Italian adults: a population-based study. Sleep Med. 2010;11:372–7.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  36. Vitiello MV, Borson S. Sleep disturbances in patients with Alzheimer’s disease: epidemiology, pathophysiology and treatment. CNS Drugs. 2001;15:777–96.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  37. Association AP. Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders. 5th ed. DC:: Washington; 2013.

    Google Scholar 

  38. Tay L, Lim WS, Chan M et al. New DSM-V neurocognitive disorders criteria and their impact on diagnostic classifications of mild cognitive impairment and dementia in a memory clinic setting. Am J Geriatr Psychiatry 2015.

  39. Avidan AY. Clinical neurology of insomnia in neurodegenerative and other disorders of neurological function. Rev Neurol Dis. 2007;4:21–34.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  40. Beydoun MA, Beydoun HA, Gamaldo AA, et al. Epidemiologic studies of modifiable factors associated with cognition and dementia: systematic review and meta-analysis. BMC Public Health. 2014;14:643.

    Article  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  41. McCurry SM, Gibbons LE, Logsdon RG, et al. Nighttime insomnia treatment and education for Alzheimer’s disease: a randomized, controlled trial. J Am Geriatr Soc. 2005;53:793–802.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  42. Avidan A, Hays RD, Diaz N, et al. Associations of sleep disturbance symptoms with health-related quality of life in Parkinson’s disease. J Neuropsychiatry Clin Neurosci. 2013;25:319–26.

    Article  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  43. Bliwise DL, Mercaldo ND, Avidan AY, et al. Sleep disturbance in dementia with Lewy bodies and Alzheimer’s disease: a multicenter analysis. Dement Geriatr Cogn Disord. 2011;31:239–46.

    Article  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  44. Boeve BF, Silber MH, Ferman TJ, et al. REM sleep behavior disorder and degenerative dementia: an association likely reflecting Lewy body disease. Neurology. 1998;51:363–70.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  45. Elwood PC, Bayer AJ, Fish M, et al. Sleep disturbance and daytime sleepiness predict vascular dementia. J Epidemiol Community Health. 2011;65:820–4.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  46. Pollak CP, Perlick D, Linsner JP, et al. Sleep problems in the community elderly as predictors of death and nursing home placement. J Community Health. 1990;15:123–35.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  47. Kim YH, Choi SH, D’Avanzo C et al. A 3D human neural cell culture system for modeling Alzheimer’s disease. In: Nat Protoc. 2015/06/13. 2015. pp. 985–1006.

  48. Ringman JM, Goate A, Masters CL, et al. Genetic heterogeneity in Alzheimer disease and implications for treatment strategies. Curr Neurol Neurosci Rep. 2014;14:499.

    Article  PubMed Central  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  49. Del Ser T, Hachinski V, Merskey H, Munoz DG. Alzheimer’s disease with and without cerebral infarcts. J Neurol Sci. 2005;231:3–11.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  50. Jahn H. Memory loss in Alzheimer’s disease. Dialogues Clin Neurosci. 2013;15:445–54.

    PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  51. Nikolaev A, McLaughlin T, O’Leary DD, Tessier-Lavigne M. APP binds DR6 to trigger axon pruning and neuron death via distinct caspases. Nature. 2009;457:981–9.

    Article  PubMed Central  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  52. Heneka MT, Carson MJ, El Khoury J, et al. Neuroinflammation in Alzheimer’s disease. Lancet Neurol. 2015;14:388–405.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  53. Lim AS, Yu L, Kowgier M, et al. Modification of the relationship of the apolipoprotein E epsilon4 allele to the risk of Alzheimer disease and neurofibrillary tangle density by sleep. JAMA Neurol. 2013;70:1544–51.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  54. O’Hara R, Schroder CM, Kraemer HC, et al. Nocturnal sleep apnea/hypopnea is associated with lower memory performance in APOE epsilon4 carriers. Neurology. 2005;65:642–4.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  55. Osorio RS, Ayappa I, Mantua J, et al. Interaction between sleep-disordered breathing and apolipoprotein E genotype on cerebrospinal fluid biomarkers for Alzheimer’s disease in cognitively normal elderly individuals. Neurobiol Aging. 2014;35:1318–24.

    Article  PubMed Central  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  56. Moraes W, Poyares D, Sukys-Claudino L, et al. Donepezil improves obstructive sleep apnea in Alzheimer disease: a double-blind, placebo-controlled study. Chest. 2008;133:677–83.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  57. Sukys-Claudino L, Moraes W, Guilleminault C, et al. Beneficial effect of donepezil on obstructive sleep apnea: a double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial. Sleep Med. 2012;13:290–6.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  58. Moran M, Lynch CA, Walsh C, et al. Sleep disturbance in mild to moderate Alzheimer’s disease. Sleep Med. 2005;6:347–52.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  59. Iranzo A, Isetta V, Molinuevo JL, et al. Electroencephalographic slowing heralds mild cognitive impairment in idiopathic REM sleep behavior disorder. Sleep Med. 2010;11:534–9.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  60. Dowling GA, Burr RL, Van Someren EJ, et al. Melatonin and bright-light treatment for rest-activity disruption in institutionalized patients with Alzheimer’s disease. J Am Geriatr Soc. 2008;56:239–46.

    Article  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  61. Ancoli-Israel S, Poceta JS, Stepnowsky C, et al. Identification and treatment of sleep problems in the elderly. Sleep Med Rev. 1997;1:3–17.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  62. Bombois S, Derambure P, Pasquier F, Monaca C. Sleep disorders in aging and dementia. J Nutr Health Aging. 2010;14:212–7.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  63. Ju YE, McLeland JS, Toedebusch CD, et al. Sleep quality and preclinical Alzheimer disease. JAMA Neurol. 2013;70:587–93.

    Article  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  64. Beaulieu-Bonneau S, Hudon C. Sleep disturbances in older adults with mild cognitive impairment. Int Psychogeriatr. 2009;21:654–66.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  65. Yaffe K, Laffan AM, Harrison SL, et al. Sleep-disordered breathing, hypoxia, and risk of mild cognitive impairment and dementia in older women. JAMA. 2011;306:613–9. Important data demonstrating that older women with sleep-disordered breathing had an increased risk of developing cognitive impairment, compared with those without sleep-disordered breathing. Possible mechanisms could include hypoxia, sleep fragmentation, or sleep duration.

    PubMed Central  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  66. Yoon SS, Jo SA. Mechanisms of amyloid-beta peptide clearance: potential therapeutic targets for Alzheimer’s disease. Biomol Ther (Seoul). 2012;20:245–55.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  67. Mayo MC, Bordelon Y. Dementia with Lewy bodies. Semin Neurol. 2014;34:182–8.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  68. Heidebrink JL. Is dementia with Lewy bodies the second most common cause of dementia? J Geriatr Psychiatry Neurol. 2002;15:182–7.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  69. Gagnon JF, Bertrand JA, Genier MD. Cognition in rapid eye movement sleep behavior disorder. Front Neurol. 2012;3:82.

    Article  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  70. Kosaka K. Diffuse Lewy body disease. Neuropathology. 2000;20(Suppl):S73–8.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  71. Kosaka K. Lewy body disease and dementia with Lewy bodies. Proc Jpn Acad Ser B Phys Biol Sci. 2014;90:301–6.

    Article  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  72. Benjamin R, Leake A, Edwardson JA, et al. Apolipoprotein E genes in Lewy body and Parkinson’s disease. Lancet. 1994;343:1565.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  73. Gardner RC, Valcour V, Yaffe K. Dementia in the oldest old: a multi-factorial and growing public health issue. Alzheimers Res Ther. 2013;5:27.

    Article  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  74. Mata IF, Samii A, Schneer SH, et al. Glucocerebrosidase gene mutations: a risk factor for Lewy body disorders. Arch Neurol. 2008;65:379–82.

    Article  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  75. Nalls MA, Duran R, Lopez G, et al. A multicenter study of glucocerebrosidase mutations in dementia with Lewy bodies. JAMA Neurol. 2013;70:727–35.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  76. Inoue Y, Sasai T, Hirata K. Electroencephalographic finding in idiopathic REM sleep behavior disorder. Neuropsychobiology. 2015;71:25–33.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  77. Claassen DO, Josephs KA, Ahlskog JE, et al. REM sleep behavior disorder preceding other aspects of synucleinopathies by up to half a century. Neurology. 2010;75:494–9.

    Article  PubMed Central  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  78. Munhoz RP, Teive HA. REM sleep behaviour disorder: how useful is it for the differential diagnosis of parkinsonism? Clin Neurol Neurosurg. 2014;127:71–4.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  79. Vendette M, Gagnon JF, Decary A, et al. REM sleep behavior disorder predicts cognitive impairment in Parkinson disease without dementia. Neurology. 2007;69:1843–9.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  80. Latreille V, Carrier J, Lafortune M, et al. Sleep spindles in Parkinson’s disease may predict the development of dementia. Neurobiol Aging. 2015;36:1083–90.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  81. Schenck CH, Bundlie SR, Mahowald MW. Delayed emergence of a parkinsonian disorder in 38% of 29 older men initially diagnosed with idiopathic rapid eye movement sleep behaviour disorder. Neurology. 1996;46:388–93.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  82. Ondo WG, Vuong KD, Jankovic J. Exploring the relationship between Parkinson disease and restless legs syndrome. Arch Neurol. 2002;59:421–4.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  83. Ferini-Strambi L, Marelli S, Galbiati A, et al. REM sleep behavior disorder (RBD) as a marker of neurodegenerative disorders. Arch Ital Biol. 2014;152:129–46.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  84. Roman GC. Vascular dementia. Advances in nosology, diagnosis, treatment and prevention. Panminerva Med. 2004;46:207–15.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  85. Aharon-Peretz J, Masiah A, Pillar T, et al. Sleep-wake cycles in multi-infarct dementia and dementia of the Alzheimer type. Neurology. 1991;41:1616–9.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  86. Elwood P, Hack M, Pickering J, et al. Sleep disturbance, stroke, and heart disease events: evidence from the Caerphilly cohort. J Epidemiol Community Health. 2006;60:69–73.

    Article  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  87. Merrilees J, Hubbard E, Mastick J, et al. Sleep in persons with frontotemporal dementia and their family caregivers. Nurs Res. 2014;63:129–36.

    Article  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  88. Anderson KN, Hatfield C, Kipps C, et al. Disrupted sleep and circadian patterns in frontotemporal dementia. Eur J Neurol. 2009;16:317–23.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  89. Yamakawa M, Shigenobu K, Makimoto K, et al. Environmental control interventions for frontotemporal dementia with reversed sleep-wake cycles. Am J Alzheimers Dis Other Demen. 2008;23:470–6.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  90. Peter-Derex L, Yammine P, Bastuji H, Croisile B. Sleep and Alzheimer’s disease. Sleep Med Rev. 2015;19:29–38.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  91. Lack L, Wright H. The effect of evening bright light in delaying the circadian rhythms and lengthening the sleep of early morning awakening insomniacs. Sleep. 1993;16:436–43.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  92. McCurry SM, Pike KC, Vitiello MV, et al. Increasing walking and bright light exposure to improve sleep in community-dwelling persons with Alzheimer’s disease: results of a randomized, controlled trial. J Am Geriatr Soc. 2011;59:1393–402.

    Article  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  93. Riemersma-van der Lek RF, Swaab DF, Twisk J, et al. Effect of bright light and melatonin on cognitive and noncognitive function in elderly residents of group care facilities: a randomized controlled trial. JAMA. 2008;299:2642–55.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  94. Deschenes CL, McCurry SM. Current treatments for sleep disturbances in individuals with dementia. Curr Psychiatry Rep. 2009;11:20–6.

    Article  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  95. Sloane PD, Williams CS, Mitchell CM, et al. High-intensity environmental light in dementia: effect on sleep and activity. J Am Geriatr Soc. 2007;55:1524–33.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  96. Lin L, Huang QX, Yang SS, et al. Melatonin in Alzheimer’s disease. Int J Mol Sci. 2013;14:14575–93.

    Article  PubMed Central  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  97. McCleery J, Cohen DA, Sharpley AL. Pharmacotherapies for sleep disturbances in Alzheimer’s disease. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2014;3:CD009178. An extensive meta-analysis noting a lack of evidence to help direct pharmacological interventions for the management of sleep problems in AD. Authors note the lack of RCTs examining therapies commonly used in the routine management of sleep problems in AD, including the benzodiazepine and non-benzodiazepine hypnotics and noting lack of evidence to support the use of melatonin in patients with AD, patients who present with sleep disturbances in the setting of moderate to severe dementia.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  98. Medeiros CA, Carvalhedo de Bruin PF, Lopes LA, et al. Effect of exogenous melatonin on sleep and motor dysfunction in Parkinson’s disease. A randomized, double blind, placebo-controlled study. J Neurol. 2007;254:459–64.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  99. Wade AG, Farmer M, Harari G, et al. Add-on prolonged-release melatonin for cognitive function and sleep in mild to moderate Alzheimer’s disease: a 6-month, randomized, placebo-controlled, multicenter trial. Clin Interv Aging. 2014;9:947–61.

    PubMed Central  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  100. Videnovic A, Lazar AS, Barker RA, Overeem S. “The clocks that time us”—circadian rhythms in neurodegenerative disorders. Nat Rev Neurol. 2014;10:683–93. A very elegant review examining whether circadian disturbances could represent cause or a consequence of neurodegeneration. The investigators argue that AD, PD, and HD share an underlying “chronodegeneration” as a common feature. The authors conclude that novel interventions targeting the chronodegeneration may help improve symptoms, quality of life, and perhaps even delay or slow down disease progression.

    Article  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  101. Asai H, Hirano M, Furiya Y, et al. Cerebrospinal fluid-orexin levels and sleep attacks in four patients with Parkinson’s disease. Clin Neurol Neurosurg. 2009;111:341–4.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  102. Mahowald MW, Schenck CH. REM sleep behavior disorder. Philadelphia: WB Saunders; 1994.

    Google Scholar 

  103. Takeuchi N, Uchimura N, Hashizume Y, et al. Melatonin therapy for REM sleep behavior disorder. Psychiatry Clin Neurosci. 2001;55:267–9.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  104. Boeve B. Melatonin for treatment of REM sleep behavior disorder: response in 8 patients. Sleep. 2001;24(suppl):A35.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

This material is the result of work supported with the resources and use of facilities at the UCLA Department of Neurology in Los Angeles, California, USA.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Neurology, UCLA Mary S. Easton Center for Alzheimer’s Disease Research, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, 10911 Weyburn Ave., Suite 200, Los Angeles, CA, 90095-7226, USA

    Verna R. Porter

  2. Department of Neurology, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, 300 UCLA Medical Plaza, Suite B200, Los Angeles, CA, 90095-6975, USA

    William G. Buxton

  3. Department of Neurology, UCLA Sleep Disorders Center, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, 710 Westwood Blvd., Room 1-145 RNRC, Los Angeles, CA, 90095-1769, USA

    Alon Y. Avidan

Authors
  1. Verna R. Porter
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. William G. Buxton
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Alon Y. Avidan
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Alon Y. Avidan.

Ethics declarations

Conflict of Interest

Verna R. Porter and William G. Buxton declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Alon Y. Avidan is a consultant for Vanda, Merck, is on the speaker’s bureau for Merck and Xenoport and received stipends as an author and lecturer on behalf of the Elsevier, LWW, Best Doctors, AAN, AASM, ACCP, and CHEST.

Human and Animal Rights and Informed Consent

This article does not contain any studies with human or animal subjects performed by any of the authors.

Additional information

This article is part of the Topical Collection on Sleep Disorders

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Porter, V.R., Buxton, W.G. & Avidan, A.Y. Sleep, Cognition and Dementia. Curr Psychiatry Rep 17, 97 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11920-015-0631-8

Download citation

  • Published:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11920-015-0631-8

Keywords

Search

Navigation