Sleep in Alzheimer's disease and other dementing disorders.
It is estimated that up to 10% of the elderly population have clinically significant cognitive deficits. The neuronal pathologies that underlie the dementing disorders cause both cognitive dysfunction and disturbances in normal sleep/wake patterns. Here we report the changes in sleep/wake patterns seen with increasing severity of Alzheimer's disease, probably the most common dementing disorder. In addition, studies examining sleep/wake patterns in a number of other dementing disorders are reviewed.
Vitiello
M V
MV
Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle 98195.
Poceta
J S
JS
Prinz
P N
PN
D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000503:physiopathology*; D012890:Sleep / Q000502:physiology*; D014851:Wakefulness / Q000502:physiology