0412 Multimethod Remote Assessment of Cognition Among Older Adults with Insomnia

Abstract

Abstract Introduction Cognitive complaints are common among older adults with insomnia. However, previous research is inconsistent regarding the association between insomnia and objective cognitive function. The purpose of this study was to compare subjective and objective cognitive function between older adults with insomnia and healthy sleepers. We hypothesized that relative to healthy sleepers, older adults with insomnia would display diminished subjective and objective cognitive function as measured via multiple remote assessment methods. Methods Participants were recruited from an academic medical center through multiple pathways. Cognitive assessments were administered via several approaches. First, subjective cognitive function was assessed via the 5-item Alert Cognition subscale of the psychometrically derived Daytime Insomnia Symptoms Scale (DISS), completed via smartphone 4x/day throughout a two-week study period (i.e., 56 administrations over 14 days). Second, objective cognitive function was assessed via telephone using the Brief Test of Adult Cognition by Telephone (BTACT), which assesses memory, reasoning, verbal fluency, and executive function. Finally, the psychomotor vigilance task [PVT], Stroop test, and a task-switching exercise were administered remotely via participant’s home desktop computer. Results Participants included 31 older adults who met DSM-V diagnostic criteria for insomnia disorder (67.5 [sd 6.6] years) and 33 older adults without sleep disorders (70.5 [sd 5.7] years). Large between-group differences were observed in the Alert Cognition subscale of the DISS (p-values < 0.0001); compared to healthy sleeper controls, participants with insomnia reported worsened forgetfulness, concentration, alertness, clear-headedness, and cognitive effort. No between-groups differences were observed in any domain of the BTACT or PVT. A numeric but not statistically significant between-groups difference was observed in overall response speed (e.g., Incongruent Response Time) on the Stroop test (p-values > 0.125). Conclusion Remote assessment of cognition is feasible among older adults with insomnia. Significant differences in subjective but not objective cognitive function, likely due to low statistical power, as cognitive deficits in insomnia tend to have small effect sizes. Overall, findings highlight the importance of multimethod assessments of cognition in older adults with insomnia and need for large sample sizes when evaluating objective cognitive function. Support (if any) Research was supported by an investigator-initiated research award from Merck Investigator Studies Program (PI: EMW).