Work

Pathways between multiple sclerosis, sleep disorders, and cognitive function: Longitudinal findings from The Nurses’ Health Study

Year: 2023

Type: article

Abstract: BACKGROUND: The potential mediating and moderating effects of sleep disorders on cognitive outcomes in multiple sclerosis (MS) have been insufficiently studied. OBJECTIVES: To determine direct and indirect longitudinal associations between sleep disorders and perceived cognitive dysfunction in women with MS. METHODS: = 524) were self-reported. Subjective cognitive function was measured using a composite score of four memory items and three binary outcomes that assessed difficulty following instructions, conversations/plots, and street navigation. Moderating and mediating effects of diagnosed/suspected obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), sleepiness, and insomnia between MS and cognition were estimated using the four-way decomposition method. RESULTS: Prevalence of diagnosed/suspected OSA, sleepiness, and insomnia in 2013 were higher for nurses with MS (NwMS). NwMS were more likely to report cognitive difficulties in 2017. Insomnia mediated 5.4%-15.1% of the total effect between MS and following instructions, conversations/plots, and memory impairment, while sleepiness mediated 8.6%-12.3% of the total effect for these outcomes. In interaction analyses, OSA significantly accounted for 34% of the total effect between MS and following instructions. CONCLUSION: Prevalent OSA, insomnia, and sleepiness could differentially moderate or mediate the effect of MS on cognition in women with MS.

Source: Multiple Sclerosis Journal

DOI: 10.1177/13524585221144215

Authors: Tiffany J Braley, Monica M Shieu, Afsara B. Zaheed, Galit Levi Dunietz

Institution: University of Michigan

Language: English

Topic: Multiple Sclerosis Research Studies

Subfield: Pathology and Forensic Medicine

Field: Medicine

Domain: Health Sciences

SDG: Good health and well-being

Open Access status: bronze