Author, as appears in the article.: Labad J; Salvat-Pujol N; Armario A; Cabezas Á; de Arriba-Arnau A; Nadal R; Martorell L; Urretavizcaya M; Monreal JA; Crespo JM; Vilella E; Palao DJ; Menchón JM; Soria V

Department: Medicina i Cirurgia

URV's Author/s: Martorell Bonet, Lourdes / Vilella Cuadrada, Elisabet

Keywords: Working-memory Trait anxiety Time Sleep quality Rhythms Performance Older-adults Metaanalysis Memory Duration Diurnal salivary cortisol Depression Cortisol Associations

Abstract: © 2020 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. Sleep plays a crucial role in cognitive processes. Sleep and wake memory consolidation seem to be regulated by glucocorticoids, pointing out the potential role of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis in the relationship between sleep quality and cognitive abilities. Trait anxiety is another factor that is likely to moderate the relationship between sleep and cognition, because poorer sleep quality and subtle HPA axis abnormalities have been reported in people with high trait anxiety. The current study aimed to explore whether HPA axis activity or trait anxiety moderate the relationship between sleep quality and cognitive abilities in healthy individuals. We studied 203 healthy individuals. We measured verbal and visual memory, working memory, processing speed, attention and executive function. Sleep quality was assessed with the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index. Trait anxiety was assessed with the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory. HPA axis measures included the cortisol awakening response (CAR), diurnal cortisol slope and cortisol levels during the day. Multiple linear regression analyses explored the relationship between sleep quality and cognition and tested potential moderating effects by HPA axis measures and trait anxiety. Poor sleep quality was associated with poorer performance in memory, processing speed and executive function tasks. In people with poorer sleep quality, a blunted CAR was associated with poorer verbal and visual memory and executive functions, and higher cortisol levels during the day were associated with poorer processing speed. Trait anxiety was a moderator of visual memory and executive functioning. These results suggest that subtle abnormalities in the HPA axis and higher trait anxiety contribute to the relationship between lower sleep quality and poorer cognitive functioning in healthy individuals.

Thematic Areas: Zootecnia / recursos pesqueiros Serviço social Saúde coletiva Química Public, environmental & occupational health Public health, environmental and occupational health Psicología Pollution Odontología Nutrição Medicina iii Medicina ii Medicina i Materiais Interdisciplinar Health, toxicology and mutagenesis Geografía Geociências Farmacia Environmental studies Environmental sciences Ensino Engenharias ii Engenharias i Enfermagem Educação física Educação Ciências biológicas iii Ciências biológicas ii Ciências biológicas i Ciências ambientais Ciências agrárias i Ciência da computação Biotecnología Biodiversidade Astronomia / física Administração pública e de empresas, ciências contábeis e turismo

licence for use: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/es/

Author's mail: lourdes.martorell@urv.cat elisabet.vilella@urv.cat

Author identifier: 0000-0003-4999-2197 0000-0002-1887-5919

Record's date: 2023-08-05

Papper version: info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion

Link to the original source: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/17/20/7600

Licence document URL: http://repositori.urv.cat/ca/proteccio-de-dades/

Papper original source: International Journal Of Environmental Research And Public Health. 17 (20): 1-18

APA: Labad J; Salvat-Pujol N; Armario A; Cabezas Á; de Arriba-Arnau A; Nadal R; Martorell L; Urretavizcaya M; Monreal JA; Crespo JM; Vilella E; Palao DJ; M (2020). The role of sleep quality, trait anxiety and hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis measures in cognitive abilities of healthy individuals. International Journal Of Environmental Research And Public Health, 17(20), 1-18. DOI: 10.3390/ijerph17207600

Article's DOI: 10.3390/ijerph17207600

Entity: Universitat Rovira i Virgili

Journal publication year: 2020

Publication Type: Journal Publications