Promising Study in the Fight Against Alzheimer’s and Dementia

Researchers and scientists from Northwestern University have concluded a study of deep sleep and its connection to mild cognitive impairment (which can be an early sign of Alzheimer’s disease). Using sound stimulation and pink noise, the scientists studied the effects deep sleep has on memory response. This newly concluded study is another step towards fixing the problem of cognitive impairment, dementia, and Alzheimer’s disease.

What Pink Noise Means for Alzheimer’s: Study Details

The study conducted at Northwestern University included nine participants. These individuals suffered from mild cognitive impairment, and they were given sound stimulation overnight. The sound stimulation was pink noise in quick pulses whenever the individual would enter deep sleep.

Pink noise is like white noise in that they’re both audible to humans. But as pink noise increases in frequency, it sounds softer and is considered more “soothing” than white noise. Pink noise is more widely found in nature. For example, the sound of light to medium rainfall is an example of pink noise.

The individuals spent one night with the sound stimulation and one night without one week apart. The night before and the morning after, the individuals were given memory tests.

Light to medium rain is one type of pink noise

The scientists then compared the slow-wave, or deep sleep, with the memory response the day after. The memory test included 44 pairs of words. Some individuals showed a 20 percent increase in slow-wave activity after sound stimulation, and they performed better on the memory tests the following day. They recalled about two more words than they did the night without sound stimulation. One individual even showed a 40 percent increase in slow-wave activity, and he remembered nine more words.

The study showed that individuals who responded the strongest to sound stimulation also had an improved memory response the morning after. Dr. Roneil Malkani, assistant professor of neurology at Northwestern University, believes that this study is an important step in countering mild cognitive impairment. According to him, the findings highlight the connection between sleep and memory, showing that deep sleep plays a key role in memory response. People with mild cognitive impairment show higher instances of sleep disturbances, and they don’t spend as much time in a deep sleep stage.

What Comes Next?

The next step in taking this study further is to secure funding. After that, the study can be applied on a larger scale, spread out over multiple days, and draw more thorough observations. Hopefully, these will help guide us into a deeper understanding and better treatment for the cognitive disease that currently affects 5.8 million Americans.