Ricerc@Sapienza

Insomnia is the most common sleep disorder and affects up to 40% of older adults. Poor cognitive functioning (i.e. concentration, attention and memory deficits), is among the most frequently complained daytime consequences of the disorder. Recent meta-analytic evidence suggests that insomnia is a risk factor for cognitive decline and Alzheimer's disease. Thus, it seems crucial to quantify the magnitude of late-life-insomnia-related cognitive impairments and to explore their reversibility after insomnia treatment. The aim of the present study is to compare performance of older adults with insomnia and normal sleeper controls on complex executive functions (EFs) tasks and to explore the effects of cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) on EFs using a randomized controlled trial design. We'll focus on EFs since 1) they are high order processes involved in a variety of cognitive and emotional processes; 2) they are understudied in late-life insomnia. The study will be conducted following the Consort guideline for randomized clinical trial. The study protocol will be submitted to the Institutional Review Board of our Department and to the WHO recognized registry of clinical trials ISRCTN for monitoring each stage of the study. Participants will be recruited at GPs in Rome and will undergo a clinical assesment following the European guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of insomnia. EFs will be assessed using a go/no-go task, classic and emotional Stroop tasks, digit span backward, arithmetic span and letter-number sequencing tests. CBT-I will combine evidence-based cognitive and behavioral techniques for insomnia. CBT-I will be compared to a self-help program for improving sleep (CBT-I booklets). Alongside EFs, also subjective and objective sleep, as well as mood and quality of life will be considered as treatment outcomes.