Presentation Type
Poster
Faculty Mentor’s Full Name
Stuart Hall
Faculty Mentor’s Department
Psychology
Abstract / Artist's Statement
Poor sleep quality is common today. However, our understanding of how sleep quality affects cognition over time is limited. The current study thus investigates the relationship between sleep quality and executive function longitudinally. Data from Waves 2 and 3 of the Midlife Development in the United States (MIDUS) research project, an ongoing longitudinal study on health and well-being in mid-life adults, was used. During Wave 2, 881 participants were administered the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) and performed the Stop and Go Task (SGT), which measures executive function. Nine years later, during Wave 3, these 881 participants were again administered the SGT. Executive function decline was assessed as the change in task performance on SGT from Wave 2 to Wave 3. A main effect of global sleep quality on decline in executive function, when controlling for age, was supported (F(2,878)=10.868, p<.001). Specifically, lower global sleep quality was significantly predictive of executive function decline over a nine-year period in middle-aged adults. These findings provide insight into how a potentially modifiable lifestyle factor — sleep quality — may predict longitudinal cognitive decline. Evidence-based interventions that seek to improve sleep quality are proposed as a potential factor for preserving cognitive function as we age.
Category
Social Sciences
The Longitudinal Effects of Sleep Quality on Executive Function
Poor sleep quality is common today. However, our understanding of how sleep quality affects cognition over time is limited. The current study thus investigates the relationship between sleep quality and executive function longitudinally. Data from Waves 2 and 3 of the Midlife Development in the United States (MIDUS) research project, an ongoing longitudinal study on health and well-being in mid-life adults, was used. During Wave 2, 881 participants were administered the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) and performed the Stop and Go Task (SGT), which measures executive function. Nine years later, during Wave 3, these 881 participants were again administered the SGT. Executive function decline was assessed as the change in task performance on SGT from Wave 2 to Wave 3. A main effect of global sleep quality on decline in executive function, when controlling for age, was supported (F(2,878)=10.868, p<.001). Specifically, lower global sleep quality was significantly predictive of executive function decline over a nine-year period in middle-aged adults. These findings provide insight into how a potentially modifiable lifestyle factor — sleep quality — may predict longitudinal cognitive decline. Evidence-based interventions that seek to improve sleep quality are proposed as a potential factor for preserving cognitive function as we age.