Grant: Project Grant

Common forms of sleep and circadian rhythm disruption such sleep deprivation, repeated awakenings at night, sleep apnea, shift work, and irregular sleep patterns, affect millions of Canadians and may be contributing to the growing number of adults with Alzheimer's disease and other dementias. This study of three thousand adult Ontarians will combine wearable technologies for comprehensive sleep and circadian assessment with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the brain to identify dementia-associated brain changes, analysis of regions of participants' DNA related to sleep and circadian rhythms, and detailed cognitive testing, to fill important gaps in our knowledge about the impact of sleep and circadian disruption on Alzheimer's disease and other dementias, and associated brain changes. This study will facilitate efforts to use sleep and circadian screening to identify adults at high risk for Alzheimer's disease and other dementias, support clinical trials of existing and emerging sleep and circadian interventions to decrease the growing burden of dementia, and may lead to targeted therapies that improve brain health for the millions of Canadians who experience sleep or circadian rhythm disruption.