Subjective sleep problems in later life as predictors of cognitive decline. Report from the Maastricht Ageing Study (MAAS).
BACKGROUND
Although biological sleep criteria seem to be associated with cognitive changes in older people, it is not clear if subjective sleep parameters are related to cognitive decline in later life.


OBJECTIVE
The aim of this study was to determine whether subjective sleep complaints in a population-based sample of 838 middle aged and older adults (>or= 50 years) predicted cognitive decline over a period of 3 years.


METHODS
Sleep complaints at baseline, assessed with the subscale Sleep Problems of the Symptoms Checklist-90, were used as a predictor variable. Cognitive performance at follow-up, measured with the Mini Mental Status Examination, was employed as a dependent variable.


RESULTS
Controlling for the effects of age, gender, length of follow-up interval, systemic diseases, and cognitive function at baseline, subjective sleep complaints were negatively associated with cognitive performance at follow-up.


CONCLUSIONS
Subjective sleep complaints predict cognitive decline in middle aged and older adults. Mechanisms behind the effect of subjective sleep complaints on cognitive performance are discussed.
Jelicic
Marko
M
Maastricht Brain and Behaviour Institute and European Graduate School of Neuroscience (EURON), Department of Psychiatry and Neuropsychology, University of Maastricht, Maastricht, The Netherlands. m.jelicic@psychology.unimaas.nl
Bosma
Hans
H
Ponds
Rudolf W H M
RW
Van Boxtel
Martin P J
MP
Houx
Peter J
PJ
Jolles
Jelle
J
D000368:Aged; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D015331:Cohort Studies; D015897:Comorbidity; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008609:Mental Status Schedule / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011594:Psychometrics; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012893:Sleep Wake Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology