Phase‐locked auditory stimulation in three consecutive nights to prevent cognitive decline

Abstract

AbstractBackgroundOver the past 10 years, disturbed sleep has been indicated as potential early, modifiable risk factor for severe cognitive decline and dementia. When we get older, sleep becomes more fragmented, we have more awakenings during the night and less deep sleep. During deep slow‐wave sleep (SWS) memory is strengthened and metabolic waste‐products like amyloid beta are cleared from the brain. Losing SWS therefore entails losing opportunities for these important functions. Leading to impairments of sleep and cognitive decline being caught in a vicious cycle. These effects are more pronounced in individuals with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and dementia. An improvement of SWS might break this vicious cycle by recuperating the brain and ameliorating the progression of cognitive decline.MethodWe use phase‐locked auditory stimulation (PLAS) to boost slow‐wave activity in older adults with subjective cognitive decline (SCD) or MCI to prevent dementia across multiple nights of stimulation.ResultPreliminary results show that physiological responsiveness to PLAS is associated with memory gains (F(1,10) = 6.58, p = .028, R2 = .34), replicating our previous results in healthy older individuals.ConclusionWe show first evidence that PLAS can improve memory performance in older individuals with MCI or SCD if applied across several nights of intervention. PLAS has emerged as a promising non‐invasive tool to enhance slow‐wave sleep, potentially ameliorating cognitive decline.Keywords:Sleep, dementia, prevention, phase‐locked auditory stimulation, blood‐based biomarkers