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Connections between sleep and cognition in older adults
Yaffe K, Falvey CM, Hoang T.. The Lancet. Neurology, 2014-10-01
Topic: Risk, prevention and care in population studies
Summary Sleep disturbances and cognitive impairment are common in older adults. Mounting evidence points to a potential connection between sleep and cognitive function. Findings from observational studies support a role for sleep disturbances (particularly for sleep duration, sleep fragmentation, and sleep-disordered breathing) in the development of cognitive impairment. Less consistent evidence exists for associations of insomnia and circadian rhythm dysfunction with cognition. These findings suggest that the sleep-wake cycle plays a crucial part in brain ageing, pointing to a potential avenue for improvement of cognitive outcomes in people at risk of cognitive decline and dementia. Several biological mechanisms might underlie the association between sleep and cognition, but these pathways are not completely understood. Future studies that aim to clarify the association between sleep and cognition might help to identify people at risk of cognitive disorders and to facilitate the development of novel therapies to treat and potentially prevent both sleep disturbances and cognitive impairment.
Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris
APA 7th
Yaffe, K., Falvey, C. M., & Hoang, T. (2014). Connections between sleep and cognition in older adults. The Lancet. Neurology. https://doi.org/10.1016/s1474-4422(14)70172-3
Vancouver
Yaffe K, Falvey CM, Hoang T. Connections between sleep and cognition in older adults. The Lancet. Neurology. 2014. doi:10.1016/s1474-4422(14)70172-3. PMID: 25231524.
BibTeX
@article{yaffe2014-25231524,
author = {Yaffe, K. and Falvey, C. M. and Hoang, T.},
title = {{Connections between sleep and cognition in older adults}},
journal = {The Lancet. Neurology},
year = {2014},
doi = {10.1016/s1474-4422(14)70172-3},
pmid = {25231524},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1016/s1474-4422(14)70172-3}
}
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Key findings
- These findings suggest that the sleep-wake cycle plays a crucial part in brain ageing, pointing to a potential avenue for improvement of cognitive outcomes in people at risk of cognitive decline and dementia.
Why it matters
This review of observational studies supports a role for sleep disturbances, particularly sleep duration, sleep fragmentation, and sleep-disordered breathing, in the development of cognitive impairment. It suggests the sleep-wake cycle may be a potential avenue for improving cognitive outcomes in people at risk of cognitive decline and dementia, but the underlying mechanisms are not completely understood.
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Study details
- Evidence strengthLow
How this study scored 55/100
Published in a leading specialty journal. Scored zero for study design, sample size, effect reported, studied in people and randomised / blinded because the record does not state it.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 9 / 10 | Tier 2 — leading specialty journal (The Lancet. Neurology) |
| Journal's citation record | 3 / 4 | The Lancet Neurology: journal h-index 457 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29) |
| Study design | 0 / 12 | No study design recorded — scores zero, not guessed (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Strength of evidence | 1 / 5 | Rated “low” in our summary |
| Peer-review validation | 10 / 10 | Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal. |
| How recent | 1 / 5 | 2014 — within 20 year(s) of the newest study here |
| Sample size | 0 / 4 | Participant count not stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Effect reported | 0 / 3 | No effect size reported — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Studied in people | 0 / 3 | Not stated whether this was studied in people — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Randomised / blinded | 0 / 2 | No randomisation or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Times cited | 6 / 7 | Cited 797 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 5 / 5 | 56.9 citations a year over 14 year(s) since 2014 |
| Impact for its field and year | 6 / 6 | Cited 54.3× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 3 / 6 | Cited by 19 other studies in this library |
| Still being cited | 4 / 4 | Cited 227 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 2 / 4 | Last-listed author Tina Dan My Hoang: h-index 22 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 2 / 3 | University of California, San Francisco: institution h-index 1,915 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 1 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 2 institution(s) in 1 country |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 25231524) |
| Free to read | 0 / 2 | Behind a paywall — scores zero |
| Total | 55 / 100 | — |
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