Abstract:
Sleep plays a vital role in cognitive function, emotional regulation, and overall health, effects that are particularly salient in older adults and individuals living with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias (ADRD). In this webinar, Dr. Rebecca Spencer, a leading sleep researcher and Professor at UMass Amherst, provides a comprehensive overview of sleep’s physiological functions, such as memory consolidation and glymphatic waste clearance, and how these processes are altered by aging and neurodegenerative disease.
Dr. Spencer examines the evolution of sleep measurement technologies, from gold-standard polysomnography to consumer-grade wearables and actigraphy. She critically assesses the validity and limitations of these tools, particularly when applied to aging and ADRD populations, and highlights challenges such as device comfort, physiological variability, and the need for population-specific validation. Finally, she explores promising avenues for technological innovation and targeted sleep interventions, with implications for improving quality of life and delaying cognitive decline.
This session is ideal for researchers, clinicians, and technologists seeking insights into the opportunities and limitations of current sleep monitoring approaches and their applications in aging and dementia care.
Biography:
- Rebecca Spencer, PhD, Professor of Psychological & Brain Sciences, UMass Amherst
- Dr. Spencer, a professor in the Psychology Department at UMass Amherst, studies the impact of sleep on learning and its effect on memory as people age. Her recent findings—covered in scientific publications such as the Journal of Neuroscience and Journal of Sleep Research as well as in media such as The New York Times, USA Today, and O, The Oprah Magazine—include scientific substantiation of the old advice to “sleep on it” when trying to make a decision and not sleeping after a traumatic event can lessen its emotional impact.