Subjective cognition and objective cognitive performance: the role of sleep

Abstract

[EMBARGOED UNTIL 6/1/2023] Subjective cognitive complaints and objective cognitive dysfunction are common in aging populations, however research investigating the associations between them is inconclusive. Given the high prevalence of sleep complaints in middle-aged/older adults, the present study tested whether sleep parameters moderated associations of objective cognition and subjective cognitive complaints. Cognitively healthy adults aged 50+ (n = 62) completed the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, Cognitive Failures Questionnaire (CFQ) and cognitive tasks: Stroop, Posner cueing, Sternberg, and Wisconsin Card Sorting. Multiple regression and simple slope analyses examined whether sleep parameters moderated the associations between objective cognition and subjective cognition. Results revealed that certain aspects of sleep moderated associations between subjective memory and processing speed (sleep efficiency, sleep disturbances), exogenous orienting attention (somatic pre-sleep arousal, sleep disturbances), and working memory (somatic pre-sleep arousal, cognitive pre-sleep arousal, sleep efficiency, sleep disturbances). Specifically, and consistently, the results were discrepant, in that objectively worse cognitive performance was associated with the least amount of subjective memory complaints in those with worst pre-sleep arousal and sleep. Additional findings revealed certain aspects of sleep moderated associations between subjective blunders and endogenous orienting attention (sleep onset latency) and set-shifting (sleep efficiency). The results were concordant, in that objectively worse performance was associated with the most amount of subjective blunder complaints in those with worst sleep. Sleep moderated the associations between objective cognition and subjective cognition in mid-to-late life. Findings suggest sleep plays a role in the relationship ix objective and subjective cognition. Future studies should investigate this relationship in aging populations with sleep disorders and/or cognitive impairments.