# Precisely quantifying the dynamic impact of sleep quality on cognitive fluctuations

> **NIH NIH F32** · MCLEAN HOSPITAL · 2022 · $66,790

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY
Amid the ever-growing number of empirically-supported behavioral treatments, a principal challenge for clinicians
is identifying when and for whom a given treatment will be effective (1–4). Extant evidence suggests the utility of
sleep interventions to improve cognitive functioning in adults diagnosed with a variety of psychiatric disorders
(5–7). Cognitive improvements, in turn, predict psychosocial and adaptive improvements (8–10). However, given
that the strength of the association between sleep and cognitive functioning varies across individuals and over
time (11–13), it is unlikely that all individuals with impaired cognition will benefit equally from sleep-based
cognitive interventions. The long-term goal of this work is to develop and test comprehensive, evidence-based
guidelines that will be useful in optimizing cognitive functioning in adults at risk for adverse psychiatric outcomes.
The immediate objective of this F32 proposal is to quantify the dynamic impact of sleep on cognitive variation in
the context of between- and within-person moderators (e.g., psychiatric traits and states), enabling clinicians to
evaluate how patient sleep habits impact cognitive performance and tailor sleep recommendations accordingly.
Until recently, technological limitations precluded assessment of the dynamic association between sleep and
cognition. To date, most research on the topic has recruited non-clinical samples, imposed non-naturalistic sleep
manipulations, and/or evaluated sleep in relation to a single cognitive outcome (most commonly, vigilance) (14).
To overcome these barriers to clinical translation, the present study will analyze passive sensing and ecological
momentary assessment (EMA) data from large, multisite U01 (AURORA; n=2626) and R01 (total n=600) studies.
These studies densely sample sleep (actigraphy-derived), cognitive functioning (processing speed, memory, and
vigilance), and psychological state (self-reported) variables in diverse clinical and community samples, affording
unprecedented power to develop a generalizable model describing the impact of sleep on cognitive fluctuations,
accounting for inter- and intra-individual variability that has heretofore confounded precision approaches to
intervention. Specific aims are threefold: (1) to specify the robust impact of sleep on cognitive variation in the
context of posttraumatic exposure; (2) to quantify inter- and intra-individual psychopathological factors that
influence the strength of the relationship between sleep and cognition; and (3) to examine the generalizability of
resultant models in independent clinical and community samples. This contribution is significant because it will
facilitate individualized psychotherapeutic interventions, empowering clinicians to customize sleep guidelines to
maximally benefit cognition. This proposal is innovative because it entails analysis of data from smartphone-
based cognitive measures that participants complete under typ...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10458926
- **Project number:** 1F32MH127812-01A1
- **Recipient organization:** MCLEAN HOSPITAL
- **Principal Investigator:** Zoe Hawks
- **Activity code:** F32 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2022
- **Award amount:** $66,790
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2022-04-01 → 2025-03-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10458926

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10458926, Precisely quantifying the dynamic impact of sleep quality on cognitive fluctuations (1F32MH127812-01A1). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-25 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10458926. Licensed CC0.

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