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Abstract Objective To examine the association between actigraphy-based sleep parameters and neuropsychological health in Veterans with Gulf War Illness (GWI). Methods Objective sleep data was obtained from 85 GW Veterans (Mage = 54.2, 79% Male) using an actigraphy monitor (Phillips Respironics Actiwatch-2) worn for 24 hours/day for seven consecutive days. Actigraphy data was manually scored to define time in bed (TIB), and total sleep time (TST), wake after sleep onset (WASO), number of awakenings (NWAK), and motor activity counts (MAC) during sleep were derived using the device software. Participants completed a battery of questionnaires: Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9), Posttraumatic Symptom Checklist (PCL-5), and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). Cognitive function was assessed using the Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of Neuropsychological Status (RBANS). Correlation analysis was conducted to discover associations between sleep parameters, self-reported measures, and cognitive function. Results MAC was positively correlated with elevated scores on PSQI (r = 0.35, p 0.01), PHQ-9 (r = 0.26, p 0.05), and PCL-5 (r = 0.26, p 0.05), and negatively correlated with RBANS Total Index score (r = −0.27, p 0.05). WASO was also positively correlated with PSQI scores (r = 0.29, p 0.01). TIB and TST were positively correlated with age (r = 0.25, r = 0.28; all p 0.05). Conclusion Objective parameters of disrupted sleep – nocturnal MAC and WASO – were associated with greater self-reported sleep disturbance. MAC was additionally correlated with increased self-reported symptoms of depression and PTSD, as well as lower performance on a measure of objective cognitive function. This study identifies aspects of sleep disruption as potential sleep intervention targets related to both mood and cognitive symptoms.
Reinhard et al. (Thu,) studied this question.