Murdoch University Research Repository

Welcome to the Murdoch University Research Repository

The Murdoch University Research Repository is an open access digital collection of research
created by Murdoch University staff, researchers and postgraduate students.

Learn more

The interaction between physical activity and sleep on cognitive function and brain beta-amyloid in older adults

Tools

Sewell, K.R., Rainey-Smith, S.R., Villemagne, V.L., Peiffer, J.ORCID: 0000-0002-3331-1177, Sohrabi, H.R.ORCID: 0000-0001-8017-8682, Taddei, K., Ames, D., Doré, V., Maruff, P., Laws, S.M., Masters, C.L., Rowe, C.C., Martins, R.N., Erickson, K.I. and Brown, B.M.ORCID: 0000-0001-7927-2540 (2023) The interaction between physical activity and sleep on cognitive function and brain beta-amyloid in older adults. Behavioural Brain Research, 437 . Art. 114108.

Link to Published Version: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bbr.2022.114108
*Subscription may be required

Abstract

Background

Lifestyle factors such as physical activity and optimal sleep are associated with better cognition and lower levels of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) biomarkers, including brain beta-amyloid (Aβ) burden.

Objective

We utilised cross-sectional data from the Australian Imaging, Biomarkers and Lifestyle (AIBL) study to determine whether self-reported physical activity (measured via the International Physical Activity Questionnaire) moderates the relationship between self-reported sleep (measured via the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index), cognition, and brain Aβ.

Methods

Participants were 349 community-dwelling cognitively normal older adults (75.3 ± 5.7 years), all of whom underwent comprehensive cognitive assessment. Data from a subset of participants (n = 201) were used for analyses with brain Aβ burden (measured by positron emission tomography) as the outcome.

Result

Physical activity moderated the relationship between sleep duration and episodic memory (β = −0.10, SE =0.03, p = .005), and sleep efficiency and episodic memory (β = −0.09, SE =0.04, p = .011), such that greater amounts of physical activity mitigated the impact of suboptimal sleep duration and efficiency on episodic memory. Physical activity also moderated the relationship between sleep duration and brain Aβ (β = −0.13, SE =0.06, p = .031), and overall sleep quality and brain Aβ (β = 0.13, SE =0.06, p = .027).

Conclusion

Our findings suggest that physical activity may play an important role in the relationship between sleep and cognitive function, and brain Aβ.

Item Type: Journal Article
Murdoch Affiliation(s): Centre for Healthy Ageing
Publisher: Elsevier B.V.
Copyright: © 2022 Elsevier B.V.
URI: http://researchrepository.murdoch.edu.au/id/eprint/66140
Item Control Page Item Control Page