Editors' note: Sleep architecture and the risk of incident dementia in the community

In “Sleep architecture and the risk of incident dementia in the community,” the authors found an association between dementia risk and lower percentage of REM sleep. They hypothesized that changes in REM sleep may be protective against cognitive decline. To further evaluate this theory, Dr. Kim suggests a longitudinal prospective cohort study of patients exposed to medications that reduce REM sleep to determine whether they have an increased risk of dementia. Authors Pase et al. agree as long as confounding factors can be controlled. In “Sleep architecture and the risk of incident dementia in the community,” the authors found an association between dementia risk and lower percentage of REM sleep. They hypothesized that changes in REM sleep may be protective against cognitive decline.