Sleep problems linked to decline in attentional abilities in those with essential tremor

Individuals with essential tremor may have an increased risk of decline in attentional abilities when having less habitual sleep efficiency, according to a poster presentation at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference.

“Although there is extended literature regarding sleep problems and cognition in the general population, scarce is the knowledge regarding this association on people with essential tremor,” Angeliki Tsapanou, PhD, MSc, of Columbia University Irving Medical Center, told Healio.

In a longitudinal study of 188 participants with a mean age of 78 years and a mean of 16 education years, the researchers examined sleep using the Pittsburg Sleep Quality Index. Using an extensive neuropsychological assessment, Tsapanou and colleagues then assessed five cognitive domains: memory, executive function, attention, language and visuo-spatial ability.

The researchers found that poor habitual sleep efficiency was associated with a rapid decline in attentional abilities over the 4-year study period. However, they found no other sleep problems associated with significant change in any cognitive domain.

“Results of our large longitudinal study indicated that cognitively healthy people with essential tremor who have longer self-reported sleep latency are at higher risk of developing executive function decline,” Tsapanou said.