Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2023 May;93(5):979-990.
doi: 10.1002/ana.26604. Epub 2023 Jan 27.

Rapid Eye Movement Sleep, Neurodegeneration, and Amyloid Deposition in Aging

Claire André  1   2 , Pierre Champetier  1   2 , Stéphane Rehel  1   2 , Elizabeth Kuhn  1 , Edelweiss Touron  1 , Valentin Ourry  1   2 , Brigitte Landeau  1 , Gwendoline Le Du  1 , Florence Mézenge  1 , Shailendra Segobin  2 , Vincent de la Sayette  2   3 , Denis Vivien  1   4 , Gaël Chételat  1 , Géraldine Rauchs  1   2 ; Medit-Ageing Research Group
Affiliations

Rapid Eye Movement Sleep, Neurodegeneration, and Amyloid Deposition in Aging

Claire André et al. Ann Neurol. 2023 May.

Abstract

Objective: Rapid eye movement (REM) sleep is markedly altered in Alzheimer's disease (AD), and its reduction in older populations is associated with AD risk. However, little is known about the underlying brain mechanisms. Our objective was to investigate the relationships between REM sleep integrity and amyloid deposition, gray matter volume, and perfusion in aging.

Methods: We included 121 cognitively unimpaired older adults (76 women, mean age 68.96 ± 3.82 years), who underwent a polysomnography, T1-weighted magnetic resonance imaging, early and late Florbetapir positron emission tomography scans to evaluate gray matter volume, perfusion, and amyloid deposition. We computed indices reflecting REM sleep macro- and microstructural integrity (ie, normalized electroencephalographic spectral power values). Voxel-wise multiple regression analyses were conducted between REM sleep indices and neuroimaging data, controlling for age, sex, education, the apnea-hypopnea index, and the apolipoprotein E ε4 status.

Results: Lower perfusion in frontal, anterior and posterior cingulate, and precuneus areas was associated with decreased delta power and electroencephalographic slowing (slow/fast frequencies ratio), and increased alpha and beta power. To a lower extent, similar results were obtained between gray matter volume and delta, alpha, and beta power. In addition, lower REM sleep theta power was more marginally associated with greater diffuse amyloid deposition and lower gray matter volume in fronto-temporal and parieto-occipital areas.

Interpretation: These results suggest that alterations of REM sleep microstructure are associated with greater neurodegeneration and neocortical amyloid deposition in older adults. Further studies are warranted to replicate these findings, and determine whether older adults exhibiting REM sleep alterations are more at risk of cognitive decline and belonging to the Alzheimer's continuum. ANN NEUROL 2023;93:979-990.

PubMed Disclaimer

References

    1. Reinoso-Suárez F, de Andrés I, Rodrigo-Angulo ML, Garzón M. Brain structures and mechanisms involved in the generation of REM sleep. Sleep Med Rev 2001;5:63-77.
    1. Platt B, Riedel G. The cholinergic system, EEG and sleep. Behav Brain Res 2011;221:499-504.
    1. Petit D, Gagnon J-FF, Fantini ML, et al. Sleep and quantitative EEG in neurodegenerative disorders. J Psychosom Res 2004;56:487-496.
    1. Hassainia F, Petit D, Nielsen T, et al. Quantitative EEG and statistical mapping of wakefulness and REM sleep in the evaluation of mild to moderate Alzheimer's disease. Eur Neurol 1997;37:219-224.
    1. Peter-Derex L, Yammine P, Bastuji H, Croisile B. Sleep and Alzheimer's disease. Sleep Med Rev 2015;19:29-38.

Publication types

Substances

LinkOut - more resources