Marina Cavuoto

Sleep disturbance is a prominent feature of Alzheimer’s disease and is associated with dementia severity, reduced quality of life, increased carer burden, and the decision to place people into aged-care institutions. However, little research has been conducted on the sleep of people who may have the earliest changes associated with an Alzheimer’s process, namely amnestic mild cognitive impairment, nor in those older adults with high levels of memory complaint. Given the strong relationship between sleep and memory, gaining insight into the nature of sleep disturbance in people with memory difficulties and memory complaints provides the opportunity to understand the mechanisms of sleep disturbance in Alzheimer’s disease. It may also have important implications for the early detection, treatment and management of the disease.

The project will involve older adults who are aged 65 years and above who are healthy (with and without complaints about their memory) and those with early memory problems but who do not have dementia. The aim is to determine whether measures of sleep quality are associated with memory performance in these groups. Participants will be asked to undertake a number of in-home sleep monitoring sessions, as well tests of memory and attention.

Ms Cavuoto is a PhD candidate based at School of Psychological Science, LaTrobe University, Victoria. She began her PhD in early 2014.