Sleep disturbance, depression, and cognition: a feasibility study
Research type
Research Study
Full title
The relationship between sleep disturbance and impaired cognition in depression: a feasibility study
IRAS ID
268261
Contact name
R Hamish McAllister-Williams
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Research, Innovation and Clinical Effectiveness Department; CNTW NHS Trust
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 0 months, 1 days
Research summary
Most patients with depression report disturbances in their sleep, and problems with concentrating and thinking (known as cognition). Previous research has found significant differences in sleep patterns between people with psychiatric disorders and those without. When patients with Major Depressive Disorder perform psychological tasks, between one quarter and one half of patients are significantly impaired in at least one area of cognitive function. Deficits have been found in many domains including attention, memory, verbal fluency, and executive function (an umbrella term that describes a set of mental processes used to exert control over one's behaviour to reach a goal, for example inhibiting a response). Cognitive deficits have also been found in people diagnosed with primary sleep disorders. Both sleep and cognitive problems reduce psychosocial functioning and quality of life, and have individually been linked with an increase in suicidal thoughts. One structural feature of the brain that has been found to correlate with differences in cognitive function is white matter. White matter damage has been associated with cognitive decline, and alterations in white matter visible on brain imaging have also been found in patients with depression and with sleep disturbance. We wonder how much of the cognitive impairment in depression is related to sleep problems.
Our aim is to recruit 30 participants to determine the feasibility of conducting a larger cross-sectional study examining objectively measured sleep disturbance and its association with cognitive function in working-age adults with Major Depressive Disorder, and the relationship of this to brain white matter connectivity. All participants will undergo two sessions of screening, questionnaires, and cognitive testing; a maximum of 22 participants will undergo diffusion-tensor-weighted brain imaging (DTI). These sessions will be separated by two weeks, during which time they will wear a wrist accelerometer which can be used to assess sleep, and keep a sleep diary.
REC name
West Midlands - Solihull Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
21/WM/0095
Date of REC Opinion
20 May 2021
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion