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Cognitive deficit is associated with phase advance of sleep–wake rhythm, daily napping, and prolonged sleep duration—a cross-sectional study in 2,947 community-dwelling older adults

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Abstract

This study aims to examine the phase advance of sleep–wake rhythm, napping habit, nocturnal sleep duration, prolonged sleep latency and insomnia and their relationship with cognitive function. This is a cross-sectional study. Participants in this study are 2,947 community-dwelling adults older than 65 years old. Measurements of mini-mental examination (MMSE) score, go-to-bed time, wake-up time, nocturnal sleep duration, prolonged sleep latency, napping, and insomnia were done. The mean (standard deviation) nocturnal sleep hours was 7.96 (1.39) h. Twenty-one percent and 16.2% of the participants complained of prolonged sleep latency longer than 1 h and insomnia, respectively. Fifty-six percent of the participants napped once or more than once weekly. With advancing age, the participants reported longer sleep duration (p < 0.001), went to bed earlier, and woke up earlier, which were significant both before and after adjustment. The participants who had lower MMSE score went to bed earlier and woke up earlier, which were statistically significant both before and after adjustment. An inverted U-shaped relationship was observed between MMSE score and napping frequency, p for tend 0.026.The MMSE score decreased when the sleep duration prolonged from 7 h to ≧10 h (p for trend 0.006). No trend was observed from the sleep duration <4 up to 7.9 h (p for trend 0.500). Modest age-independent phase advance of the sleep–wake rhythm is associated with lower cognitive function. Whether this is a manifestation of early pre-clinical dementia and whether its recognition with early stabilization can slow cognitive decline remain elusive.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. The S. H. Ho Centre for Gerontology and Geriatrics, The Chinese University Of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong

    Tung Wai Auyeung

  2. Department of Medicine and Geriatrics, Pok Oi Hospital, Au Tau, Hong Kong

    Tung Wai Auyeung

  3. Division of Geriatrics, Department of medicine and Therapeutics, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong

    Jenny Shun Wah Lee, Timothy Kwok & Jean Woo

  4. The Jockey Club Centre for Osteoporosis Care, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong

    Jason Leung & Ping Chung Leung

  5. Department of Psychiatry, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong

    Yun Kwok Wing

Authors
  1. Tung Wai Auyeung
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  2. Jenny Shun Wah Lee
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  3. Jason Leung
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  4. Timothy Kwok
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  5. Ping Chung Leung
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  6. Jean Woo
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  7. Yun Kwok Wing
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Tung Wai Auyeung.

Additional information

This work was done at the S. H. Ho Centre for Gerontology and Geriatrics, the Chinese University of Hong Kong.

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Auyeung, T.W., Lee, J.S.W., Leung, J. et al. Cognitive deficit is associated with phase advance of sleep–wake rhythm, daily napping, and prolonged sleep duration—a cross-sectional study in 2,947 community-dwelling older adults. AGE 35, 479–486 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11357-011-9366-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11357-011-9366-6

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