Ricerc@Sapienza

We have entered an era of a steep increase in the absolute and relative number of older
people. This well-come phenomenon represents a major challenge for health care. However, maturational
changes in sleep associated with aging do not easily appear as main factors, even though
sleep alterations in the aging process lead to many detrimental consequences. In this editorial paper,
we summarize the present knowledge about the main aging-related sleep modifications and their

Mild cognitive impairment (MCI), also termed mild neurocognitive disorder, includes a heterogeneous group of conditions characterized by declines in one or more cognitive domains greater than that expected during “normal” aging but not severe enough to impair functional abilities. MCI has been associated with an increased risk of developing dementia and even considered an early stage of it. Therefore, noninvasively accessible biomarkers of MCI are highly sought after for early identification of the condition.

Aging is associated with cognitive decline and increased vulnerability to neurodegenerative diseases. The progressive extension of the average human lifespan is bound to lead to a corresponding increase in the fraction of cognitively impaired elderly individuals among the human population, with an enormous societal and economic burden.