0866 A Comparison Of Resting Cerebral Blood Flow And Sleep Quality In Older Adults

Abstract

Abstract Introduction Sleep disturbances have been linked to a variety of health-related consequences, including clinically significant cognitive alterations. Older adults represent a particularly vulnerable population given that advanced age is associated with an increased risk for both sleep disorders, such as insomnia, and cognitive decline. Examining the relationship between resting cerebral blood flow (rCBF) and sleep quality in older adults will better our understanding of the neurophysiologic implications of poor sleep in aging adults. Methods Thirty-three cognitively normal older adults (15 males) between the ages of 65-85 (mean age=73) were administered the Pittsburg Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) and underwent assessment of rCBF using arterial spin labeling (ASL). Those who scored above 5 on the PSQI were defined as poor sleepers (n=17) and those who scored 5 or below were defined as good sleepers (n=16). Groups were then compared on voxel-wise whole-brain rCBF using independent samples t-tests statistically adjusting for age, sex, and the time interval between neuroimaging and sleep assessment. Results Compared to good sleepers, poor sleepers exhibited higher rCBF within bilateral thalamus and the left precuneus and lower rCBF within the left putamen (all ps<.01, uncorrected). Conclusion In this preliminary investigation, poor sleepers exhibited a differential pattern of rCBF in several brain regions, including those involved in consciousness and other important cognitive abilities such as attention. Future research is needed to determine the short- and long-term implications of poor sleep on the aging brain. Support U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Clinical Sciences Research and Development Service Merit Award 5I01CX000565 (CEW) & VA Rehabilitation Research & Development - Career Development Award - RX001512-01A2 (HJO)