Age-related changes in sleep EEG are attenuated in highly intelligent individuals.
Impaired sleep is a frequent complaint in ageing and a risk factor for many diseases. Non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep EEG delta power reflects neural plasticity and, in line with age-related cognitive decline, decreases with age. Individuals with higher general intelligence are less affected by age-related cognitive decline or other disorders and have longer lifespans. We investigated the correlation between age and EEG power in 159 healthy human subjects (age range: 17-69 years), and compared an average (IQ<120; N=87) with a high (IQ≥120; N=72) intelligence subgroup. We found less age-related decrease in all-night relative NREM sleep EEG delta power in the high intelligence subgroup. Our results suggest that highly intelligent individuals are less affected by the sleep-related effects of biological ageing, and therefore potentially less at risk for age-related cognitive deficits and other diseases.
Department of Cognitive Sciences, Budapest University of Technology and Economics, H-1111 Budapest, Hungary.
Adrián
A
Pótári
Institute of Behavioural Sciences, Semmelweis University, H-1089 Budapest, Hungary; National Institute of Clinical Neurosciences, H-1145 Budapest, Hungary.
Péter P
PP
Ujma
Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Centre, 6525 EN Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
Boris N
BN
Konrad
Centre for Cognitive and Neural Systems, University of Edinburgh, EH8 9JZ Edinburgh, United Kingdom.
Lisa
L
Genzel
Department of Cognitive Sciences, Budapest University of Technology and Economics, H-1111 Budapest, Hungary; Nyírő Gyula Hospital, National Institute of Psychiatry and Addictions, H-1135 Budapest, Hungary.
Péter
P
Simor
Department of Electrical Engineering and Information Systems, Pannon University, H-8200 Veszprém, Hungary.
János
J
Körmendi
Department of General Psychology, Pázmány Péter Catholic University, H-1088 Boudapest, Hungary.
Ferenc
F
Gombos
Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, 80804 Munich, Germany.
Axel
A
Steiger
Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Centre, 6525 EN Nijmegen, The Netherlands; Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, 80804 Munich, Germany. Electronic address: martin.dresler@donders.ru.nl.
Martin
M
Dresler
Institute of Behavioural Sciences, Semmelweis University, H-1089 Budapest, Hungary.
Róbert
R
Bódizs
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000375:Aging; D058256:Brain Waves; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000502:physiology*; D004569:Electroencephalography; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007360:Intelligence; D007361:Intelligence Tests; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017286:Polysomnography; D012890:Sleep; D012894:Sleep Stages; D055815:Young Adult
Aging; Electroencephalography; Fluid reasoning; Intelligence; Sleep; Slow wave activity