Wunderlin M, Zeller CJ, Senti SR, Fehér KD, Suppiger D, Wyss P, Koenig T, Teunissen CE, Nissen C, Klöppel S, Züst MA. Acoustic stimulation during sleep predicts long-lasting increases in memory performance and beneficial amyloid response in older adults.
Age Ageing 2023;
52:afad228. [PMID:
38163288 PMCID:
PMC10758173 DOI:
10.1093/ageing/afad228]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2023] [Indexed: 01/03/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND
Sleep and neurodegeneration are assumed to be locked in a bi-directional vicious cycle. Improving sleep could break this cycle and help to prevent neurodegeneration. We tested multi-night phase-locked acoustic stimulation (PLAS) during slow wave sleep (SWS) as a non-invasive method to improve SWS, memory performance and plasma amyloid levels.
METHODS
32 healthy older adults (agemean: 68.9) completed a between-subject sham-controlled three-night intervention, preceded by a sham-PLAS baseline night.
RESULTS
PLAS induced increases in sleep-associated spectral-power bands as well as a 24% increase in slow wave-coupled spindles, known to support memory consolidation. There was no significant group-difference in memory performance or amyloid-beta between the intervention and control group. However, the magnitude of PLAS-induced physiological responses were associated with memory performance up to 3 months post intervention and beneficial changes in plasma amyloid. Results were exclusive to the intervention group.
DISCUSSION
Multi-night PLAS is associated with long-lasting benefits in memory and metabolite clearance in older adults, rendering PLAS a promising tool to build upon and develop long-term protocols for the prevention of cognitive decline.
Collapse