Research

Mixed

Poor sleep quality is associated with increased longitudinal cortical atrophy in community-dwelling adults, particularly those over the age of 60.

Prioritize sleep quality as a critical component of brain health, especially as you age. Poor sleep is linked to brain shrinkage (atrophy) in key areas. Focus on improving sleep efficiency (time asleep vs. time in bed) rather than just duration. If you are over 60, this link is even stronger. Consult a sleep specialist if you have chronic sleep issues.

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Poor sleep quality was associated with reduced volume within the right superior frontal cortex in cross-sectional analyses, and an increased rate of atrophy within widespread frontal, temporal, and parietal regions in longitudinal analyses.
Claire E. Sexton et al. · Neurology · 2014

Why this rating

Longitudinal MRI study with a moderate sample size (n=147), controlling for key confounders (BMI, BP, physical activity), but relying on self-reported sleep quality (PSQI).

Source

Poor sleep quality is associated with increased cortical atrophy in community-dwelling adults

Claire E. Sexton et al. · Neurology · 2014

DOI 10.1212/wnl.0000000000000774

cohort · n=147Cited 246×
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DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10

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