Brain changes associated with sleep quality/disturbances in aging

In this paper published in Ageing Research Reviews, the team headed by Gaël Chételat & Géraldine Rauchs reviews the most important studies showing associations between sleep quality and risk of cognitive decline and dementia, detailing the impact of age-related changes in sleep on brain structure and function. Existing data suggest bidirectional links between sleep and Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Indeed, AD results in sleep disturbances due to the degeneration of some brain areas, and on the other way, age-related sleep changes may exacerbate some pathological processes such as Aβ and tau aggregation. These data highlight the utmost importance of preserving sleep quality in aging to delay the onset of the disease or slow down its progression.