Sex differences in sleep and memory relationships in older adults at risk for Alzheimer's disease

Introduction

Biological sex is an important modifier of aging and Alzheimer's disease risk, yet the sleep-related mechanisms through which sex and genetic risk interact to influence memory remain poorly understood. We examined whether associations among non-rapid eye movement sleep physiology, overnight memory retention, and apolipoprotein E ϵ4 (APOE ϵ4) status, a genetic risk factor for Alzheimer's disease, differed by sex in cognitively unimpaired older adults enriched for Alzheimer's disease risk.