To evaluate the relationship between sleep, cognition, and functionality in AD patients treated with anti-amyloid therapy

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder marked by cognitive and functional decline. Sleep disturbances are commonly observed in AD and may be associated with the severity of cognitive impairment. However, the relationship between specific sleep parameters and cognitive performance in patients treated with anti-amyloid therapy has not been well explored. 

Pearson correlation analyses were used to assess linear relationships between  sleep, cognition, and functionality in patients with AD undergoing anti-amyloid treatment using the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), Clinical Dementia Rating (CDR) and Functional Activities Questionnaire (FAQ). Sleep data were obtained from home sleep studies, including pAHI (apnea-hypopnea index), REM sleep %, and total sleep %. The total sample size varied slightly depending on data availability: 29 patients (average age 72.2 ± 6.89 years) had MMSE and CDR data, while 27 patients (average age 71.9 ± 6.92 years) had FAQ data. 

MMSE scores were weakly negatively correlated with pAHI (r = –0.176), REM sleep % (r = –0.174), and sleep % (r = –0.074). CDR scores showed weak positive correlations with pAHI (r = 0.071), REM % (r = 0.15), and sleep % (r = 0.14). FAQ scores were weakly correlated with pAHI (r = 0.095), REM % (r = 0.002), and sleep % (r = –0.16).

In this cohort of AD patients, sleep metrics such as pAHI, REM %, and overall sleep % demonstrated no strong linear associations with cognitive or functional outcomes as measured by MMSE, CDR, or FAQ. While slight trends were observed, the relationships were weak and may not be clinically significant.