Effect of long-term sleep disruption on cognitive function and brain amyloid-β accumulation: a case-control study
Background: Recent evidence indicates that disrupted sleep could contribute to the development of Alzheimer’s disease by influencing the production and/or clearance of the amyloid-β protein. We set up a case-control study to investigated the association between long-term work-induced sleep disruption, cognitive function, and brain amyloid-β accumulation.
Methods: We recruited 19 male maritime pilots (aged 48-60 years) with chronic work-related sleep disruption and a sex-, age and education-matched control sample (n=16, aged 50-60 years) with normal sleep. Primary sleep disorders were ruled out with in-lab polysomnography. Additional sleep measurements were obtained at home using actigraphy, sleep-wake logs, and a single-lead EEG device. Cognitive function was assessed with a neuropsychological test battery sensitive to early symptomatic Alzheimer’s disease. Brain amyloid-β accumulation was assessed in maritime pilots using 18 F-flutemetamol amyloid PET-CT.
Results: Maritime pilots reported significantly worse sleep quality (Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI)=8.8±2.9) during workweeks, compared to controls (PSQI=3.2±1.4; 95% CI 0.01 to 2.57; p =0.049). This was confirmed with actigraphy-based sleep efficiency (86% ±3.8 vs. 89.3% ±4.3; 95% CI 0.43 to 6.03; p =0.03). Home-EEG recordings showed less total sleep time and deep sleep time during workweeks compared to rest-weeks (TST: 318.56 (250.21–352.93) vs. TST: 406.17 (340–425.98); p =0.001; DST: 36.75 (32.30–58.58) vs. DST 51.34 (48.37–69.30); p =0.005)). There were no differences in any of the cognitive domains between the groups. Abnormal amyloid-β accumulation was ruled out, showing mean global cortical standard uptake value ratios in the normal range (1.009 ±0.059; 95% CI 0.980 to 1.037), confirmed by visual reads.
Conclusions: Capitalizing on the particular work-rest schedule of maritime pilots, we show that long-term intermittent sleep disruption is not associated with brain amyloid accumulation or cognitive decline.
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On 26 Aug, 2020
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Posted 28 Apr, 2020
On 07 Jun, 2020
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Received 19 May, 2020
On 02 May, 2020
Invitations sent on 01 May, 2020
On 27 Apr, 2020
On 26 Apr, 2020
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On 21 Apr, 2020
Effect of long-term sleep disruption on cognitive function and brain amyloid-β accumulation: a case-control study
On 26 Aug, 2020
On 22 Jun, 2020
On 21 Jun, 2020
On 21 Jun, 2020
Posted 28 Apr, 2020
On 07 Jun, 2020
Received 07 Jun, 2020
On 07 Jun, 2020
Received 19 May, 2020
On 02 May, 2020
Invitations sent on 01 May, 2020
On 27 Apr, 2020
On 26 Apr, 2020
On 23 Apr, 2020
On 21 Apr, 2020
Background: Recent evidence indicates that disrupted sleep could contribute to the development of Alzheimer’s disease by influencing the production and/or clearance of the amyloid-β protein. We set up a case-control study to investigated the association between long-term work-induced sleep disruption, cognitive function, and brain amyloid-β accumulation.
Methods: We recruited 19 male maritime pilots (aged 48-60 years) with chronic work-related sleep disruption and a sex-, age and education-matched control sample (n=16, aged 50-60 years) with normal sleep. Primary sleep disorders were ruled out with in-lab polysomnography. Additional sleep measurements were obtained at home using actigraphy, sleep-wake logs, and a single-lead EEG device. Cognitive function was assessed with a neuropsychological test battery sensitive to early symptomatic Alzheimer’s disease. Brain amyloid-β accumulation was assessed in maritime pilots using 18 F-flutemetamol amyloid PET-CT.
Results: Maritime pilots reported significantly worse sleep quality (Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI)=8.8±2.9) during workweeks, compared to controls (PSQI=3.2±1.4; 95% CI 0.01 to 2.57; p =0.049). This was confirmed with actigraphy-based sleep efficiency (86% ±3.8 vs. 89.3% ±4.3; 95% CI 0.43 to 6.03; p =0.03). Home-EEG recordings showed less total sleep time and deep sleep time during workweeks compared to rest-weeks (TST: 318.56 (250.21–352.93) vs. TST: 406.17 (340–425.98); p =0.001; DST: 36.75 (32.30–58.58) vs. DST 51.34 (48.37–69.30); p =0.005)). There were no differences in any of the cognitive domains between the groups. Abnormal amyloid-β accumulation was ruled out, showing mean global cortical standard uptake value ratios in the normal range (1.009 ±0.059; 95% CI 0.980 to 1.037), confirmed by visual reads.
Conclusions: Capitalizing on the particular work-rest schedule of maritime pilots, we show that long-term intermittent sleep disruption is not associated with brain amyloid accumulation or cognitive decline.
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3