# An Epidemiologic Study of Disparities in Sleep and Cognition in Older Adults (DISCO)

> **NIH NIH R01** · NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY · 2020 · $360,200

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY
Sleep duration and quality is worse among racial/ethnic minority groups, particularly African Americans/blacks
and Hispanic/Latinos. Impaired sleep has been associated with detriments in cognitive function, which is a
major cause of poor quality of life and disability among older adults. Impaired cognitive function and
Alzheimer’s Disease are also more often observed in racial/ethnic minority groups, including blacks and
Hispanic/Latinos, leading to greater disparities in well-being and longevity among these groups. Given the
importance of maintaining cognitive function at older ages, we propose to examine sleep disparities among a
cohort of 450 older adults (≥65 years) from three racial/ethnic groups to understand better the correlates of
these sleep disparities and to understand the role sleep plays in disparities in cognitive function and
Alzheimer’s disease risk. Defining the correlates of inadequate sleep and the contribution of sleep to cognitive
function in a racial/ethnically diverse sample is the first step towards identifying modifiable factors within each
racial/ethnic group contributing to sleep and cognitive function. Inadequate sleep has been associated with
adverse cardiovascular function, including higher blood pressure and elevated ratio of white matter
hyperintensities to normal tissue in the parietal region of the brain. Inadequate sleep has also been associated
with increased insulin resistance and diabetes risk in experimental and observational studies. Cerebral small
vessel disease and insulin resistance are risk factors for the development of impaired cognitive function and
Alzheimer’s disease and thus we will examine whether these measures mediate associations between sleep
and cognitive function. We will enroll 150 non-Hispanic blacks, 150 non-Hispanic whites and 150
Hispanic/Latinos without severe cognitive impairment. We will assess habitual sleep, cognitive function, insulin
resistance and cerebral small vessel function at baseline and 24 months later. We will determine the
contribution of psychosocial and physical well-being to sleep disparities in older adults. We will also determine
whether inadequate sleep partially mediates racial/ethnic differences in cognitive function decline over 2 years.
Finally, we will test whether cerebral small vessel disease and insulin resistance are potential mechanisms
linking inadequate sleep to declines in cognitive function in older adults. This application aligns with the goals
of the NIH Sleep Disorders Research Plan to “Identify … lifestyle factors … contributing to the risk of sleep and
circadian disorders and disturbances, and their role in the development and pathogenesis of co-morbid
diseases, and disability.” If inadequate sleep is a significant correlate of greater cognitive decline among older
adults, the development of novel therapies, behavioral interventions and/or methods to increase use and
adherence to existing therapies to improve sleep in older adu...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10132004
- **Project number:** 3R01AG059291-02S1
- **Recipient organization:** NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** Mercedes Renee Carnethon
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $360,200
- **Award type:** 3
- **Project period:** 2019-07-01 → 2024-03-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10132004

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10132004, An Epidemiologic Study of Disparities in Sleep and Cognition in Older Adults (DISCO) (3R01AG059291-02S1). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-21 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10132004. Licensed CC0.

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