The Relationship Between Sleep and Brain Function in Older Adults With Chronic Kidney Disease and Self-Identified Cognitive Impairment

Abstract

Older adults with chronic kidney disease (CKD) are at risk for cognitive impairment and sleep disturbances. The purpose of the current study was to investigate the relationship between sleep and brain structure/function in older adults with CKD and self-identified cognitive impairment. The sample ( N = 37) had a mean age of 68 years ( SD = 4.9 years), estimated glomerular filtration rate of 43.7 mL/min/1.73m 2 ( SD = 10.98), median sleep time of 7.4 hours, and was 70% female. Sleeping <7.4 hours, compared to ≥7.4 hours, was associated with better attention/information processing (β = 11.46, 95% confidence interval [CI] [3.85, 19.06]) and better learning/memory (β = 2.06, 95% CI [0.37, 3.75]). Better sleep efficiency was associated with better global cerebral blood flow (β = 3.30, 95% CI [0.65, 5.95]). Longer awake length after sleep onset was associated with worse fractional anisotropy of the cingulum (β = −0.01, 95% CI [−0.02, −0.003]). Sleep duration and continuity may be related to brain function in older adults with CKD and self-identified cognitive impairment. [ Journal of Gerontological Nursing, 49 (7), 31–39.]