Sleep disturbances and disruption of circadian rhythm frequently impair the quality of life and safety of individuals with AD.5 Studies in mouse models of AD have demonstrated the association between disrupted sleep and AD, with evidence that increased wakefulness and decreased sleep starts around the time of amyloid plaque disposition, with more prominent disruption in sleep patterns once the plaques have become widespread.6 Additionally, studies have suggested that poor sleep quality impairs cognitive function.7,8 Increased neuronal firing, which occurs during poor-quality sleep period, may increase levels of Ab in the interstitial fluid, compared with that occurring during a good-quality sleep period.6 The disruption in sleep and AD pathology may result in a positive-feedback loop in which poor sleep contributes to amyloid deposition, and amyloid plaque formation impairs sleep through effects on sleep-promoting brain regions.5
References:
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6.Roh JH, Huang Y, Bero AW, et al. Disruption of the sleep-wake cycle and diurnal fluctuation of β-amyloid in mice with Alzheimer’s disease pathology. Sci Transl Med 2012; 4 (150): 150ra122.
7.Blackwell T, Yaffe K, Ancoli-Israel S, et al; Osteoporotic Fractures in Men (MrOS) Study Group. Association of sleep characteristics and cognition in older community-dwelling men: the MrOS sleep study. Sleep 2011; 34 (10): 1347–1356.
8.Potvin O, Lorrain D, Forget H, et al. Sleep quality and 1-year incident cognitive impairment in community-dwelling older adults. Sleep 2012; 35 (4): 491–499.
