Exploration of sleep disturbances, white matter hyperintensities, and the relationship to cognition in older adults Lead Investigator: Arlener Turner Institution : NYU E-Mail : Arlener.Turner@nyulangone.org Proposal ID : 1650 Proposal Description: It is with good reason, that the amyloid clearance hypothesis is the most examined mechanism for the relationship between sleep and Alzheimer?#128#153s disease (AD), given the well-documented relationship between obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and AD, and research showing diminished amyloid clearance in individuals suffering from disturbed sleep, including those with OSA. However, OSA also contributes to white matter hyperintensities (WMH), which are thought to be visualizations of small vessel cerebrovascular disease seen on an MRI. And there is clear evidence that links WMH to cognitive decline, and combined with lacunar infarcts and cerebral microbleeds, they are thought to be the primary pathology for vascular dementia. Additionally, it is being increasingly recognized that WMH are involved in the etiology of Alzheimer?#128#153s disease as well. Therefore, we propose to explore the relationship between WMH and cognition in older adults with and without sleep disturbances to further elucidate the role of WMH in the link between sleep and AD.