Feasibility and Acceptability of a Remote Sleep-Dependent Memory Assessment in Older Adults With Cognitive Concerns: Pilot Cross-Sectional Study.

Abstract

Background: Sleep-dependent memory consolidation (SDMC), the process by which sleep supports the transfer of memories into long-term storage, declines with age but remains underexplored in older adults with subjective cognitive decline and mild cognitive impairment. Traditional SDMC assessments are typically conducted in lab settings, with limited evidence for feasibility to do these assessments at home for this clinical population.

Objective: To address this, we co-designed the Sleep Memories app, which assesses overnight memory for a previously validated 32-item word-pairs task. This pilot study first explored the feasibility and acceptability of the app, including willingness to participate. Second, we explored various demographic, clinical, and subjective sleep factors associated with task completion and SDMC performance in a memory clinic sample.

Methods: Within an 8-month period, we invited 141 older adults aged 50 years and above (mean 71.27, SD 7.51 y) from the Healthy Brain Ageing clinic, a specialist brain health and memory clinic in Sydney, to pilot the Sleep Memories app. Of these, 76 (mean 70.19, SD 7.75) agreed to participate. All participants underwent a full neuropsychological test battery, medical assessment, and mood assessment.

Results: Sixty-eight participants completed at least 1 test of the word-pairs task. The word-pairs task completion rate for all trials was over 50%. There was 57% (39/68) completion of both evening and morning delayed recall tests. Lower willingness to participate was associated with lower global cognitive scores, poorer sleep behavior, and clinical factors. Higher task completion was associated with greater education and greater anxiety levels. User feedback indicated that the app was well-accepted and liked, although some participants reported minor technical difficulties.

Conclusions: These findings support the feasibility of mobile app-based SDMC assessment in older adults at risk of cognitive decline and underscore the importance of considering individual characteristics (eg, subjective sleep factors, clinical characteristics, and education) when designing digital SDMC tools.