Researchers in the United States have found that sleep problems disrupt neural connections differently depending on age, and in older women such changes may indicate an early risk of dementia, reports infohub.kz.
Scientists from Binghamton University and the University of Alabama analyzed MRI scans of more than 1,300 participants. The findings were published in the journal Neurobiology of Aging. They discovered that among poorly sleeping students, brain regions responsible for movement were overly active — the body was not ready for rest. In older adults aged 65 and above, those areas were passive, but cognitive regions showed heightened activity.
Particularly dangerous patterns were identified in older women. Poor sleep led to hyperconnectivity between the default mode network (DMN), which handles memory, and the frontoparietal network (FPN), which controls attention. According to study co-author Ian McDonough, this abnormality directly impairs memory and resembles processes seen in the preclinical, silent stage of Alzheimer’s disease. To reduce overstimulation before sleep, younger people are advised to keep journals, while older adults should consult a doctor promptly.