Sleep-dependent Learning in Aging

NCT03840083 | Recruiting

• 1 other identifier: 2017-4290
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 584
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

The specific objective of this proposed research is to understand whether deficits in sleep-dependent memory changes reflect age-related changes in sleep, memory, or both. The central hypothesis is that changes in both memory and sleep contribute to age-related changes in sleep-dependent memory processing. To this end, the investigators will investigate changes in learning following intervals of sleep (overnight and nap) and wake in young and older adults.

Conditions

Sleep

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• Change in memory accuracy for intervention compared to control

  We will measure memory accuracy before the sleep/wake interval and subtract this from memory accuracy after the sleep wake interval. If sleep benefits memory then this value will be greater in the sleep condition compared to the wake condition.

  2 hours (Experiments 1,4) or 12 hours (Experiments 2,3,5,6)

Study Arms (2)

Sleep

EXPERIMENTAL

Individuals will either nap (Exps 1, 4) or have overnight sleep (Exps 2, 3, 5, 6)

Behavioral: Sleep

Wake

NO INTERVENTION

Individuals will stay awake for the same amount of time as they slept in the sleep condition

Interventions

Sleep BEHAVIORAL

Participants will sleep (either a mid-day nap or normal overnight sleep)

Sleep

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years - 80 Years
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

• Age 18-80 yrs
• Healthy sleeper
• No diagnosed sleep or neurodegenerative disorder

You may not qualify if:

• Past diagnosis neurological illness or head injury
• Reported average sleep per night \< 5 or \> 9 hrs
• Current employment involving shift work or an inability to keep a regular sleep schedule during the week prior to testing
• Current use of psychotropic, recreational drugs, or sleep-altering medications (sleep medications, cold medicines within the past week, clonidine, sympathomimetic stimulants)
• Daily caffeine intake of \> 4 cups (coffee, tea, colas)
• Weekly alcohol intake of \> 10 cups
• Pregnancy or \< 12 months post-partum
• History of bipolar disorder, mania, or current evidence of depression as measured by Beck Depression Inventory score \> 25
• Abnormal sleep (e.g., shift work, travel across \>2 time zones within the past 3 months).
• Diagnosis of any Axis I disorder, neurological illness or head injury (according to Demographic and Health History form);
• Score indicative of cognitive dysfunction (subtest scores \< 40)
• Beck Depression Scale score indicative of depression (\> 19).
• Additionally, individuals will be excluded from magnetic resonance imaging studies (Exps 1, 4) for:
• Left handed or ambidextrous
• Claustrophobia

Sponsors & Collaborators

• University of Massachusetts, Amherst: lead

Study Sites (1)

University of Massachusetts

Amherst, Massachusetts, 01003, United States

RECRUITING

MeSH Terms

Interventions

Sleep

Intervention Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Nervous System Physiological Phenomena; Musculoskeletal and Neural Physiological Phenomena

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: NON RANDOMIZED
• Masking: NONE
• Purpose: BASIC SCIENCE
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Professor

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: February 4, 2019
• First Posted: February 15, 2019
• Study Start: July 15, 2018
• Primary Completion: July 14, 2025
• Study Completion: July 15, 2025
• Last Updated: April 3, 2025

Record last verified: 2025-03

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

US (1)