| Poster | Poster Session 02 Program Schedule
02/15/2024
08:00 am - 09:15 am
Room: Majestic Complex (Posters 61-120)
Poster Session 02: Aging | MCI | Neurodegenerative Disease - PART 1
Final Abstract #83
Brain Health in Middle-Aged and Older Adults in Relation to Prescription and Herbal Supplement Sleep Medication Use
Dania Salman, Saint Louis University, St. Louis, United States
Payton Adams, Saint Louis University, St. Louis, United States
Lauren Olson, Saint Louis University, St. Louis, United States
Jeffrey Gfeller, Saint Louis University, St. Louis, United States
David Kaufman, Saint Louis University, St. Louis, United States
Category: Sleep and Sleep Disorders
Keyword 1: sleep
Keyword 2: cognitive functioning
Objective:
Use of prescription sleep medicines and herbal sleep supplements have garnered increased research interest given emerging evidence of their cognitive and psychosocial impacts (Cardinali et al., 2022; Proctor & Bianchi, 2012). Notably, prior research has identified several adverse effects associated with long-term use of prescription sleep medications, such as physical difficulties, declining cognition, and impaired functioning, which may adversely affect individuals across the lifespan (Zhang et al., 2013). Furthermore, the compounding effects of medication use can lead to additional detriments to an individual’s well-being (Fitzgerald & Vietri, 2015). The current study examined long-term versus short-term intake of prescription sleep medication and herbal sleep supplements and their relationships with overall self-reported brain health and mental sharpness in middle aged and older adults.
Participants and Methods:
A sample of 2,585 individuals ages forty years and older were recruited through the 2016 AARP Brain Health and Sleep Study, a cross-sectional multidisciplinary study that conducted online interviews via GfK’s representative Knowledge Panel (https://doi.org/10.26419/res.00143.002). The sample included 1,535 randomly-selected cases from the general US population, as well as an augmented subsample of 341 Hispanic/Latino, 399 African American, and 310 Asian American individuals. Measures included self-reported responses to questions related to indicators of brain health and mental sharpness.
Results:
Bivariate Pearson correlation analyses were conducted, with results including a significant correlation between the length of time taking prescription sleep medication and problems with brain health and mental sharpness (r = .12). Specifically, those who endorsed taking prescription sleep medication for a longer amount of time were more likely to report worsening brain health and mental sharpness. Contrary to this finding, a significant correlation was found between the length of time taking herbal sleep supplements and problems with brain health and mental sharpness (r = -.10). Specifically, those who endorsed taking herbal sleep supplements for a longer amount of time were less likely to report worsening brain health and mental sharpness.
Conclusions:
Sleep medication, though effective, can have many negative side effects or possibly lead to polypharmacy problems and medication mismanagement. Thus, a movement towards more natural approaches to medication usage are increasing in clinical practice, including the introduction of herbal supplements. The small, but significant, results found in the current study demonstrate that there may be an empirical benefit of taking minimally invasive sleep supplements on brain health and mental sharpness. Future research should examine a wider range of health factors and demographics that could be contributing to these findings, as well as explore performance-based measures of cognitive ability.
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