Miraglia Francesca, Cacciotti Alessia, Vecchio Fabrizio, Scarpelli Serena, Gorgoni Maurizio, De Gennaro Luigi, Rossini Paolo Maria
Brain Connectivity Laboratory, Department of Neuroscience and Neurorehabilitation, IRCCS San Raffaele, Via Val Cannuta, 247, 00166, Rome, Italy.
Department of Theoretical and Applied Sciences, eCampus University, Novedrate, Como, Italy.
Geroscience. 2024 Dec 23. doi: 10.1007/s11357-024-01473-w.
The aim of the present study is to investigate differences in brain networks modulation during the pre- and post-sleep onset period, both within and between two groups of young and older individuals. Thirty-six healthy elderly and 40 young subjects participated. EEG signals were recorded during pre- and post-sleep onset periods and functional connectivity analysis, specifically focusing on the small world (SW) index, applied to EEG data (i.e., frequency bands) was examined. Significant differences in SW values were found between the pre-sleep and post-sleep onset phases in both young and older groups, with a reduction in the SW index in the theta band common to both groups. Additionally, an increase in the SW index in the beta band was exclusive to the elderly group during the post-sleep onset period, while an increase in the sigma band was exclusive to the young group. Furthermore, differences between the young and elderly groups were found during both phases, including a decrease in the SW index within the delta band, an increment in the sigma and beta bands in the elderly compared to the young group during the pre-sleep onset period, and a notable absence of sigma band modulation in the elderly group during the post-sleep onset condition. These findings provide insights into age-related changes in sleep-related brain network dynamics and their potential impact on sleep quality and cognitive functions, prompting interventions aimed at supporting healthy aging and addressing age-related cognitive decline.
本研究的目的是调查两组年轻和年长个体在睡眠开始前和睡眠开始后的时间段内，大脑网络调节在组内和组间的差异。三十六名健康老年人和四十名年轻受试者参与了研究。在睡眠开始前和睡眠开始后记录脑电图（EEG）信号，并对应用于EEG数据（即频段）的功能连接性分析进行了检查，特别关注小世界（SW）指数。在年轻组和老年组中，睡眠前和睡眠开始后阶段的SW值均存在显著差异，两组的θ频段SW指数均降低。此外，在睡眠开始后阶段，β频段SW指数的增加仅出现在老年组，而σ频段的增加仅出现在年轻组。此外，在两个阶段均发现了年轻组和老年组之间的差异，包括δ频段内SW指数的降低、在睡眠开始前阶段老年组与年轻组相比σ和β频段的增加，以及在睡眠开始后老年组中σ频段调制的显著缺失。这些发现为与睡眠相关的大脑网络动态的年龄相关变化及其对睡眠质量和认知功能的潜在影响提供了见解，促使人们采取干预措施以支持健康老龄化并应对与年龄相关的认知衰退。
