Past Webinar – Sleep Measurement: Challenges and Opportunities to Measure Sleep Health – Rebecca Spencer
https://youtu.be/wmz-rMzTMDU?si=B-t8xSVptTgDL78p 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…