Turkish Journal of Geriatrics 2015 , Vol 18, Issue 2
ASSOCIATION OF SLEEP QUALITY AND DAYTIME SLEEPINESS WITH COGNITION IN THE ELDERLY
Gülay SOYKÖK1, Rezzak YILMAZ1, Ahmet İlteriş ŞENTÜRK2, Şeyda ÇEVİK3, Şeyda FİGÜL GÖKÇE1, Özlem KAYIM YILDIZ4, Suat TOPAKTAŞ4
1Numune Training and Research Hospital, Department of Neurology, SÄ°VAS
2Ä°stanbul University, CerrahpaÅŸa Medical Faculty, Department of Algology, Ä°STANBUL
3 Necip Fazıl Hospital, Department of Neurology, KAHRAMANMARAŞ
4 Cumhuriyet University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Neurolgoy, SÄ°VAS
Introduction: The association between sleep problems and cognitive dysfunction is not reported in Turkey. The aim of the study was to evaluate the association between sleep quality and daytime sleepiness with cognitive functioning and to identify factors that influence cognitive state in the elderly.

Materials and Method: Using a simple random sampling method, 500 individuals, aged ≥60 years, living in the city of Sivas were recruited into our study. Standardized mini mental test, Pittsburgh Sleeping Quality Index and Epworth Sleepiness Scale tests were used to evaluate overall cognition, sleep quality, and daytime sleepiness, respectively.

Results: Lower cognitive functions were found to be significantly associated with age, female gender, living alone, low level of education and socioeconomic status. Impaired cognition was found in 53.8% of individuals with sleep quality disorder and 63.7% of individuals with daytime sleepiness (p < 0.05). According to logistic regression analysis, the risk of cognitive dysfunction in participants with a sleep quality disorder and daytime sleepiness were 4.17 and 3.48 times higher compared to individuals without the disorder respectively.

Conclusion: Sleep quality disorders were found to be prevalent in the elderly. A close relationship was found between cognitive dysfunction with poor sleep quality and daytime sleepiness. Keywords : Aging; Sleep; Cognition