Summary of the Study onโฃ Insomnia and Cognitive Decline:
This โstudy, published in Neurology (Septemberโ 10, 2025), investigated the โคlink between โคchronic insomnia and cognitive decline โin older adults. Here’s a breakdown โof theโข key findings:
Key Findings:
* Increased Risk: โ People with chronic insomnia (troubleโ sleeping at least three days a week for three months or more) had a 40% higher โขrisk of developing mild cognitive impairment or dementia compared to โขthose without insomnia. This isโ equivalent to 3.5 years of cognitive aging.
* โค Cognitive Decline: Insomnia was associatedโข with faster declines โคin thinking skills over the 5.6-year study period.
* Brain Changes: Insomnia correlated withโข observable changes in the brain, โฃincluding:
* More whiteโฃ matter hyperintensities: Indicating potential small vessel disease and brain tissue damage.
โ * More amyloid plaques: A protein buildup linked โto โAlzheimer’s disease. the effect โขwas comparable โto carrying the APOE ฮต4 โคgene โ(a known genetic risk factor).
* Perceived Sleep Reduction Impact: Participants reporting less โsleep than usual had lower โcognitive test scores at the study’s start, equivalent toโ being fourโ years older.
* Perceived Sleepโ Increase Impact: Participants reporting moreโ sleep than usual had fewer white โฃmatter hyperintensities at the study’s start.
* Vulnerable Group: individuals carrying the โ APOE ฮต4 gene โexperienced steeper โdeclines โขin memory and thinking skills when also experiencing insomnia.
Study Details:
*โ Participants: 2,750 cognitively healthy older adultsโฃ (average age 70).
* Duration: 5.6 years.
* Data Collection: Included self-reported โsleep patterns, yearly cognitive tests, and brainโฃ scans (for some โฃparticipants).
Important Note: The studyโค demonstrates an association between insomnia and cognitive decline, but doseโ not prove that insomnia causes brain aging.
Conclusion:
The study highlights theโฃ potentialโค importance ofโฃ addressing chronic insomnia, not just for sleep quality, โฃbut also forโฃ potential brain โคhealth benefits and โto promote brain resilience as we age.