Abstract
Alzheimers Dement. 2026 Nov;22(11):e71964. doi: 10.1002/alz.71964.
ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION: The locus coeruleus (LC) is among the first sites of tau pathology in Alzheimer's disease (AD) and plays a key role in sleep-wake regulation. However, evidence linking LC integrity to objective sleep measures in the context of emerging AD pathology remains limited.
METHODS: Thirty-nine cognitively unimpaired older adults underwent dedicated LC and neurite orientation dispersion and density imaging at 7T magnetic resonance imaging, actigraphy, and quantification of plasma AD-related biomarkers. A subsample of 20 individuals also completed at-home sleep electroencephalogram (EEG) recordings.
RESULTS: Lower LC orientation dispersion index, indicating lower complexity in the arborization of LC neurites, was associated with actigraphy- and EEG-derived measures of shorter and more fragmented sleep. These associations were exacerbated at elevated plasma phosphorylated tau 217 and glial fibrillary acidic protein concentrations.
DISCUSSION: Our findings provide in vivo evidence of the LC's involvement in sleep disruption, and they highlight LC microstructure as a potential marker for identifying individuals at risk for AD-related sleep disturbances.
PMID:42982755 | DOI:10.1002/alz.71964
UK DRI Authors
