Insomnia Impairs Both the Pro-BDNF and the BDNF Levels Similarly to Older Adults with Cognitive Decline: An Exploratory Study

Sleep disorders, including insomnia, are common during aging, and these conditions have been associated with cognitive decline in older adults. Moreover, during the aging process, neurotransmitters, neurohormones, and neurotrophins decrease significantly, leading to the impairment of cognitive functions. In this sense, BDNF, the most abundant neurotrophic factor in the human brain, has been suggested as a potential target for the prevention and improvement of cognitive decline during aging; however, the current evidence demonstrates that the exogenous administration of BDNF does not improve cognitive function. Hence, in the present study, we quantified pro-BDNF (inactive) and BDNF (active) concentrations in serum samples derived from older individuals with insomnia and/or cognitive decline. We used linear regression to analyze whether clinical or sociodemographic variables impacted the levels of BNDF concentration. We observed that insomnia, rather than cognitive decline, is significantly associated with BDNF concentration, and these effects are independent of other variables. To our knowledge, this is the first study that points to the impact of insomnia on improving the levels of BDNF during aging and suggests that opportune treatment of insomnia may be more beneficial to prevent cognitive decline during aging.

Automated summary

Sleep disorders, including insomnia, are common in aging and have been linked to cognitive decline in older adults. Decreased levels of neurotransmitters, neurohormones, and neurotrophins during the aging process contribute to impaired cognitive function. BDNF, a neurotrophic factor in the brain, has been suggested as a potential target for preventing cognitive decline, but administering exogenous BDNF does not improve cognitive function. A study found that insomnia, not cognitive decline, is significantly associated with BDNF concentration, independent of other variables. This suggests that timely treatment of insomnia may be more beneficial in preventing cognitive decline during aging.