Actigraphic and melatonin alignment in older adults with varying dementia risk.

Circadian rhythms alter with ageing and may be aetiologically linked to neurodegeneration. This study explored the association between clinical markers and 1) dim light melatonin onset (DLMO) time and 2) phase angle derived from sleep midpoint, in older adults with varying dementia risks. Participants completed 14 days of actigraphy followed by in-lab measurement of salivary melatonin, from which DLMO time and phase angle were computed.

Sharing the load: How a personally coloured calculator for grapheme-colour synaesthetes can reduce processing costs.

Synaesthesia refers to a diverse group of perceptions. These unusual perceptions are defined by the experience of concurrents; these are conscious experiences that are catalysed by attention to some normally unrelated stimulus, the inducer. In grapheme-colour synaesthesia numbers, letters, and words can all cause colour concurrents, and these are independent of the actual colour with which the graphemes are displayed.

Circadian rhythm and sleep alterations in older people with lifetime depression: a case-control study.

Background: Depression is common in older people and is associated with underlying brain change increasing the risk of dementia. Sleep disturbance is frequently reported by those with lifetime depression, however whether circadian misalignment also exists is unclear. We aimed to examine circadian rhythms and sleep associations in older patients with and without lifetime depression.

Nocturnal Hypoxemia Is Associated with Altered Parahippocampal Functional Brain Connectivity in Older Adults at Risk for Dementia.

Background: Obstructive sleep apnea is associated with an increased risk of developing mild cognitive impairment and dementia. Intermittent nocturnal hypoxemia in obstructive sleep apnea is associated with brain changes in key regions that underpin memory.

Objective: To determine whether older adults with severe nocturnal hypoxemia would exhibit reduced functional connectivity within these regions, with associated deficits in memory.

Substantiating synesthesia: a novel aid in a case of grapheme-colour synesthesia and concomitant dyscalculia.

Here we present the case of SP, a 21-year-old female with life-long dyscalculia. SP was subsequently diagnosed with grapheme-color synesthesia, a diagnosis that serendipitously catalyzed our development of a novel aid:The digit-color calculator (DCC). The DCC substantiates SP's color , dramatically ameliorating her difficulties with basic calculations.

"Sleep Well, Think Well" Group Program for Mild Cognitive Impairment: A Randomized Controlled Pilot Study.

: Sleep-wake disturbance is associated with poor cognitive functioning and several other adverse outcomes that increase dementia risk in older adults. Targeting sleep-wake disturbance in individuals at risk for dementia may be an important treatment. This study evaluated the efficacy of a four-session multicomponent group intervention for participants with mild cognitive impairment (MCI).

Current sleep disturbance in older people with a lifetime history of depression is associated with increased connectivity in the Default Mode Network.

Background: The present study investigated Default Mode Network (DMN) functional connectivity in subjects with a lifetime history of major depression, comparing those with and without current sleep disturbance. Controls were included to assess DMN abnormalities specific to depression.

Methods: A total of 93 adults aged 50 years and over were recruited from the Healthy Brain Ageing Clinic at the Brain and Mind Centre, Sydney, Australia.

Association between Sleep Disordered Breathing and Nighttime Driving Performance in Mild Cognitive Impairment.

Objectives: The effect of sleep disordered breathing (SDB) on driving performance in older adults has not been extensively investigated, especially in those with mild cognitive impairment (MCI). The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between severity measures of SDB and a simulated driving task in older adults with and without MCI.

Methods: Nineteen older adults (age ≥50) meeting criteria for MCI and 23 age-matched cognitively intact controls underwent neuropsychological assessment and a driving simulator task in the evening before a diagnostic sleep study.

Functional Connectivity in the Default Mode Network is Reduced in Association with Nocturnal Awakening in Mild Cognitive Impairment.

Background: Sleep disturbance is prevalent in MCI, and is a risk factor for cognitive deterioration.

Objective: To identify functional connectivity deficits in the default mode network (DMN) in patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and sleep disturbance, relative to MCIs with intact sleep.

Methods: Participants comprised 47 adults aged 55 years and over, recruited from the Healthy Brain Ageing Clinic at the Brain and Mind Centre, Sydney, Australia.

Quantifying the effect of body mass index, age, and depression severity on 24-h activity patterns in persons with a lifetime history of affective disorders.

Background: Patients with affective disorders of different ages have been found to present weight changes and different circadian activity patterns. This study assessed the effects of age, Body Mass Index (BMI) and depression severity on the activity-rest cycle in persons with affective disorders using a novel multifactorial 24-h analysis method.

Methods: Two hundred and thirty-six participants aged between 14 and 85 years underwent 5 to 22 days of actigraphy monitoring (mean duration = 14 days).

Sleep disturbance in mild cognitive impairment is associated with alterations in the brain's default mode network.

This study aimed to identify default mode network (DMN) functional connectivity deficits in patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and sleep disturbance, relative to those with MCI and no sleep disturbance. A control group was included to aid in identifying DMN changes specific to MCI. A cross-sectional, single-center study was performed at the Brain and Mind Research Centre in Sydney, Australia.

Association of Anterior Cingulate Glutathione with Sleep Apnea in Older Adults At-Risk for Dementia.

Study Objectives: Sleep disordered breathing (SDB) is common in older adults and is strongly associated with cognitive decline, with increasing evidence suggesting that it may represent a risk factor for dementia. Given that SDB is characterized by intermittent episodes of hypoxemia during sleep, it is possible that cognitive impairment may relate to cerebral oxidative stress. This study aimed to examine the relationship between nocturnal markers of hypoxemia and proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy ((1)H-MRS) markers of oxidative stress within the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) of the brain.

Napping in older people 'at risk' of dementia: relationships with depression, cognition, medical burden and sleep quality.

Sleep disturbance is prevalent in older adults, particularly so in those at a greater risk of dementia. However, so far the clinical, medical and neuropsychological correlates of daytime sleep have not been examined. The aims of this study were to investigate the characteristics and effects of napping using actigraphy in older people, particularly in those 'at risk' of dementia.

Validation of the Psychosis and Hallucinations Questionnaire in Non-demented Patients with Parkinson's Disease.

People diagnosed with Parkinson's disease (PD) frequently experience visual and non-visual hallucinations often with comorbid psychosis, however, there is currently no gold standard tool for accurately assessing these symptoms. To address this problem, we designed a novel questionnaire to evaluate the presence of hallucinatory and psychotic symptoms in PD, as well as related symptoms, such as attentional dysfunction and sleep disturbance. We administered the 20-item Psychosis and Hallucinations Questionnaire (PsycH-Q) and three common questionnaire measures in a large cohort of 197 patients with idiopathic PD via a postal survey.

Mild Cognitive Impairment Subtypes in Older People With Depressive Symptoms: Relationship With Clinical Variables and Hippocampal Change.

Aims: To examine the rates and clinical characteristics of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) in older people with depressive symptoms and to determine the relative contribution of hippocampal volume and MCI to memory change.

Method: One hundred and fifty-two participants with lifetime Major Depression and remitted or mild symptoms and 28 healthy controls underwent psychiatric and neuropsychological assessments. Magnetic resonance imaging was also conducted in a subset of the patients (n = 81) and healthy controls (n = 18).

Association between Sleep-Disordered Breathing and Neuropsychological Performance in Older Adults with Mild Cognitive Impairment.

Sleep-disordered breathing in middle-age and older adults has been shown to be linked to a range of neuropsychological deficits, but the extent to which these relationships are evident in older people 'at risk' of developing dementia in unknown. In this study, we aimed to determine whether changes in sleep-disordered breathing and sleep fragmentation during nocturnal sleep were related to neuropsychological dysfunction in patients with mild cognitive impairment. Forty-six patients with MCI (mean age = 66.

Investigating the night-to-night variability of REM without atonia in Parkinson's disease.

Objectives: Rapid eye movement (REM) sleep behaviour disorder is frequently observed in Parkinson's disease and is characterized electrophysiologically by the absence of atonia during REM sleep. However, the night-to-night variability of REM sleep without atonia is yet to be determined in Parkinson's disease.

Methods: Using polysomnography, this study measured the variability of REM sleep without atonia across two consecutive nights, using the REM atonia index in 38 patients with Parkinson's disease.

Prevalence and predictors of poor sleep quality in mild cognitive impairment.

Aims: To investigate the prevalence of and contributors to poor sleep quality in patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI).

Methods: Data were collected for 158 patients meeting the criteria for MCI. Measures included the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, Geriatric Depression Scale, and Mini-Mental State Examination.

Dysfunctional sleep beliefs in Parkinson's disease: relationships with subjective and objective sleep.

Disturbed sleep is common in Parkinson's disease and has a detrimental impact on functioning and quality of life. While the progression of the disease contributes to the aetiology of sleep problems in Parkinson's disease, it is unknown whether an individual's beliefs and attitudes about sleep play a role. In this study we sought to investigate whether dysfunctional beliefs and attitudes about sleep could be related to subjective and objective measures of sleep disturbance in Parkinson's disease.

Investigating rapid eye movement sleep without atonia in Parkinson's disease using the rapid eye movement sleep behavior disorder screening questionnaire.

Rapid eye movement (REM) sleep behavior disorder (RBD) is frequently observed in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD). Accurate diagnosis is essential for managing this condition. Furthermore, the emergence of idiopathic RBD in later life can represent a premotor feature, heralding the development of PD.

Sleep-wake cycle in young and older persons with a lifetime history of mood disorders.

Considering the marked changes in sleep and circadian rhythms across the lifespan, age may contribute to the heterogeneity in sleep-wake profiles linked to mood disorders. This study aimed to investigate the contributions of age and depression severity to sleep-wake disturbances. The Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS) was administered to assess current symptoms severity in 238 persons with a history of a mood disorder between 12 and 90 years of age (y.

Screening for sleep apnoea in mild cognitive impairment: the utility of the multivariable apnoea prediction index.

Purpose. Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is considered an "at risk" state for dementia and efforts are needed to target modifiable risk factors, of which Obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) is one. This study aims to evaluate the predictive utility of the multivariate apnoea prediction index (MAPI), a patient self-report survey, to assess OSA in MCI.

Disturbances in melatonin secretion and circadian sleep-wake regulation in Parkinson disease.

Objective: Using salivary dim light melatonin onset (DLMO) and actigraphy, our study sought to determine if Parkinson disease (PD) patients demonstrate circadian disturbance compared to healthy controls. Additionally, our study investigated if circadian disturbances represent a disease-related process or may be attributed to dopaminergic therapy.

Methods: Twenty-nine patients with PD were divided into unmedicated and medicated groups and were compared to 27 healthy controls.