Date of Completion

2024

Thesis Type

College of Arts and Science Honors

Department

Neuroscience

First Advisor

Dr. Julie Dumas, PhD

Second Advisor

Dr. Sayamwong (Jom) Hammack, PhD

Keywords

Menopause, Sleep, Actigraphy, Alzheimer's Disease, Aging

Abstract

Women are diagnosed with Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) more frequently than men and one explanation for this discrepancy is linked to the menopause transition. Additionally, disturbed sleep has also been identified as a risk factor. The goal of this study was to examine several biological and physiological factors related to menopause and assess if they were related to sleep quality. Sleep was assessed using an Actigraphy device and a self-reported measure called the Pittsburg Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). The menopause-related variables chosen to be studied in this thesis were divided into four categories: Age, Mood, Physical Symptoms, and Brain Structure/Function. After performing a series of correlations, results showed that age was related to total minutes in bed, total sleep time, and average awakening length. Night sweats and surveys assessing anxiety and depression were both correlated with PSQI scores. The basal forebrain volume was bilaterally associated with sleep regularity and the right basal forebrain was correlated with sleep efficiency and wake after sleep onset (WASO). This study along with future investigations may be important for bridging the sex gap in AD diagnosis and for developing mechanisms to improve sleep among menopausal women.

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