Expanding Research of Sleep and Cognitive Risks Associated: Christian Agudelo, MD

"Everything that happens in the proceeding stage influences the subsequent stage, either physiologically, or at least behaviorally. If you’re someone that doesn’t appreciate sleep as a teenager, that lesson is going to continue.”

University of Miami Miller School of Medicine researchers recently published a collaborative study of middle-aged Hispanic adults and found a link between poor sleep patterns and cognitive decline. These effects of poor sleep, however, have yet to be determined in different race or age populations.

Christian Agudelo, MD, Evelyn F. McKnight Neurocognitive Scholar, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, and lead investigator of the study, believes these associations should additionally be observed in younger populations. He noted that there could be neurodevelopmental issues that stem from poor sleep, but also that behavioral tendencies and the lack of prioritizing sleep may have an impact as well.

In this interview, he discussed the idea of evaluating poor sleep effects in younger populations, and why the need for diversifying study populations is crucial to further justify broader implications.