Sleeping longer than 6.5 hours a night associated with cognitive decline according to research - what's really going on here?

November 5, 2021

A good night's sleep is important for many reasons. lt helps our body repair itself and function as it should, and is linked to better mental health and lower risk of many health conditions - including heart disease and diabetes. lt has also been shown that not getting enough sleep is linked to cognitive decline and conditions such as Alzheimer's disease.

However, more is not always better, as one recent study found. Researchers from lhe Washington University School of Medicine have published a paper that indicates that just like getting too little sleep, sleeping too much may also be linked with cognitive decline.

The research team wanted to know how much sleep was linked to cognitive impairment over time. To do this, they looked at 100 older adults in their mid-to-late- 70s, and tracked them for between four and five years. At lhe time of their study, 88 people did not show any signs of dementia, while 12 showed signs of cognitive impairment ( one with mild de mentia and 11 with the pre-dementia stage of mild cognitiv.a. impairment).

Throughout lhe study, participants were asked to complete a range of commonplace cognitive and neuropsychological tests to look for signs of cognitive decline or dementia. Their scores from these tests were then combined into a single score, called the Preclinical Alzheimer Cognitive Composite (PACC) score. The higher the score, lhe better their cognition was over time.

Sleep was measured using a single-electrode encephalography (EEG) device, which participants wore on their forehead while sleeping, for a total of between four to six nights. This was dane once, three years after people first completed their annual cognitive tests. This EEG allowed the researchers · to accurately measure brain activity, which would tell !hem whether someone was asleep (and for how long), and how restful that sleep was.

Sleep was only measured atone period during the study, but this still gave the research team a good indication of participants' normal sleep habits. While using an EEG to measure brain activity may be somewhat disruptive to sleep on the first night, as people get used to the equipment, sleep tends to return to normal the following night. This means that when sleep is tracked from the second night onwards, · it is a good representation of a person's normal sleep habits.

The researchers also took into account other factors that can affect cognitive decline - including age, genetics and whether a person had signs of lhe protein beta-amyloid or tau, which are both linked to dementia.

Overall, lhe researchers found that sleeping less than 4.5 hours and more than 6.5 hours a night - alongside poor quality sleep - was associated with cognitive decline over time. lnterestingly, the impact of sleep duration on cognitive function was similar to lhe effect of age, which is lhe greatest risk factor for developing cognitive decline.

(Adapted from https://theconversation.com/)

Sleeping longer than 6.5 hours a night associated with cognitive decline according to research - what's really going on here?

November 5, 2021

A good night's sleep is important for many reasons. lt helps our body repair itself and function as it should, and is linked to better mental health and lower risk of many health conditions - including heart disease and diabetes. lt has also been shown that not getting enough sleep is linked to cognitive decline and conditions such as Alzheimer's disease.

However, more is not always better, as one recent study found. Researchers from lhe Washington University School of Medicine have published a paper that indicates that just like getting too little sleep, sleeping too much may also be linked with cognitive decline.

The research team wanted to know how much sleep was linked to cognitive impairment over time. To do this, they looked at 100 older adults in their mid-to-late- 70s, and tracked them for between four and five years. At lhe time of their study, 88 people did not show any signs of dementia, while 12 showed signs of cognitive impairment ( one with mild de mentia and 11 with the pre-dementia stage of mild cognitiv.a. impairment).

Throughout lhe study, participants were asked to complete a range of commonplace cognitive and neuropsychological tests to look for signs of cognitive decline or dementia. Their scores from these tests were then combined into a single score, called the Preclinical Alzheimer Cognitive Composite (PACC) score. The higher the score, lhe better their cognition was over time.

Sleep was measured using a single-electrode encephalography (EEG) device, which participants wore on their forehead while sleeping, for a total of between four to six nights. This was dane once, three years after people first completed their annual cognitive tests. This EEG allowed the researchers · to accurately measure brain activity, which would tell !hem whether someone was asleep (and for how long), and how restful that sleep was.

Sleep was only measured atone period during the study, but this still gave the research team a good indication of participants' normal sleep habits. While using an EEG to measure brain activity may be somewhat disruptive to sleep on the first night, as people get used to the equipment, sleep tends to return to normal the following night. This means that when sleep is tracked from the second night onwards, · it is a good representation of a person's normal sleep habits.

The researchers also took into account other factors that can affect cognitive decline - including age, genetics and whether a person had signs of lhe protein beta-amyloid or tau, which are both linked to dementia.

Overall, lhe researchers found that sleeping less than 4.5 hours and more than 6.5 hours a night - alongside poor quality sleep - was associated with cognitive decline over time. lnterestingly, the impact of sleep duration on cognitive function was similar to lhe effect of age, which is lhe greatest risk factor for developing cognitive decline.

(Adapted from https://theconversation.com/)

Brazilian Navy releases new 20-year plan

By Victor Barreira

The Brazilian Navy is looking to acquire mediumsized general-purpose helicopters and attack, antisubmarine (ASW) and reconnaissance helicopters, according to lhe recently released Brazilian Navy lates! Strategic Plan (Plano Estratégico da Marinha 2040/PEM 2040).

The Plan, which was publicly released on 1 O September, calls for a host of other new measures to be implemented over the next 20 years. For example, lhe Navy wants to significantly increase research-anddevelopment (R&D) to develop shipboard systems such as communications, detection, navigation, and electronic warfare. The R&D increases are also meant to help boost lhe country's Defence Technological and Industrial Base (DTIB).

The Navy also wants to achieve a minimum of 65% of ships and aircraft operational availability, create a cyber-warfare squadron, and bolster its satellite ability to intercept maritime communications.

According to the Plan, lhe Navy is, now going to focus more heavily on operations in lhe Southern Atlantic Ocean, paying particular attention to threats such as piracy, illegal fishing, organised crime, urban conflicts, natural resources dispute, cyber warfare, terrorism, illegal access to knowledge, lhe pandemics, natural disasters, and environmental issues.

The document, which does no! describe exact schedules, also covers a range of modernisation projects that were previously planned or initiated, but no! yet effectively implemented or concluded. These include lhe acquisition of vessels (mine-hunting ships, escort ships, aircraft carriers, a logistics support ship, coastal and offshore patrol ships, Antarctic support ship, training ships, and survey ships), unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), fighter jets, and lightweight training and utility helicopters. ln addition, lhe Plan aims at lhe enlargement and modernisation of equipment used by lhe Marines Corps, lhe development of anti-ship missiles, and lhe, local construction of the country's first nuclear-powered submarine SN Álvaro Alberto.

(Adapted from https://www.janes.com/)

What lt's Like to Live in the Jungle for a Month

December 10, 2018

Lesley de Souza (Keller Science Action Center)

Our team of Field Museum scientists - experts on fish, plants, amphibians, mammals, and more - traveled to Colombia to join regional and national scientists for a month, with the geai of going deep into the rainforest and documenting as much wildlife as possible. We've dane several trips like this, called rapid inventaries, in the Amazon basin, but this one fel! especially important. We were exploring an area that no scientists had entered for over sixty years because of guerrillas.

Now we're able to venture into this region, but it is also exposed to threats. Deforestation is moving into this area ai an alarming rate. With a focused mission, we explore lhe beautiful landscape and its many diverse critters while working and learning from lhe people who live there.

But getting into the rainforest - il's no easy feat! After taking a commercial airliner from Chicago, we made our way into the jungle by bush plane, upriver by boat, and lastly, on our own two feet. To get to one campsite, we hiked for a mile in a flooded creek, balancing on floating logs.

Each campsite is a little different, but it's always important to sei up a kitchen and dining area! Typical meals include fish, rice, beans, plantains, and oatmeal - repeat, repeat, repeat. A definite bonus of fieldwork life? Brewing fresh hot chocolate from local cacao in the jungle. Plus, lots of coffee keeps us going for long days (and late nights) of collecting and recording data.

You realize what a force nature is - especially during rainy season in the Amazon. That's why I prefer sleeping off the ground in a hammock. At one particular site, 1 woke up with water below me. The river had risen so much that it flooded the fores!. But I also lave the breeze being suspended in lhe air. l'm convinced you sleep beller with the swaying ...

Of course, we're here to work. That means finding, measuring, photographing, identifying, and in some cases, collecting specimens. 1 focus on Neotropical fish species, and I learn A LOT from talking to local people about fishes. lt is an important part of their diet and the economy. Because they're fishermen themselves, they have firsthand knowledge of things like fish behavior, where and when to find them, and how to catch them. I1's such important information when trying to understand the landscape, people, and fishes for conservation.

At the end of each day, we have seen, collected and photographed so many specimens. But there is still more work to do at night - which means working by candlelight or putting on our headlamps. Some groups stay up until one in the morning, like the botany team pressing plants. The reptile & amphibian and fish teams go out for their night survey, and the mammal team sets up mist nets to catch bats! lt's activity around the clock for a rapid inventory team.

At the end of lhe day, we may be exhausted, but it really is a privilege to sei foot in these natural areas and learn from the local people and scientists. On this trip alone, we documented 750 species of plants and 686 species of vertebrates! And we estimate there are more than double these numbers in the area. The more we know about what lives in rich natural areas like the Amazon rainforest, the easier it is for us to work together to protect the landscapes where they live and the people who depend on them.

(Adapted from https://www.fieldmuseum.org/blog)

What lt's Like to Live in the Jungle for a Month

December 10, 2018

Lesley de Souza (Keller Science Action Center)

Our team of Field Museum scientists - experts on fish, plants, amphibians, mammals, and more - traveled to Colombia to join regional and national scientists for a month, with the geai of going deep into the rainforest and documenting as much wildlife as possible. We've dane several trips like this, called rapid inventaries, in the Amazon basin, but this one fel! especially important. We were exploring an area that no scientists had entered for over sixty years because of guerrillas.

Now we're able to venture into this region, but it is also exposed to threats. Deforestation is moving into this area ai an alarming rate. With a focused mission, we explore lhe beautiful landscape and its many diverse critters while working and learning from lhe people who live there.

But getting into the rainforest - il's no easy feat! After taking a commercial airliner from Chicago, we made our way into the jungle by bush plane, upriver by boat, and lastly, on our own two feet. To get to one campsite, we hiked for a mile in a flooded creek, balancing on floating logs.

Each campsite is a little different, but it's always important to sei up a kitchen and dining area! Typical meals include fish, rice, beans, plantains, and oatmeal - repeat, repeat, repeat. A definite bonus of fieldwork life? Brewing fresh hot chocolate from local cacao in the jungle. Plus, lots of coffee keeps us going for long days (and late nights) of collecting and recording data.

You realize what a force nature is - especially during rainy season in the Amazon. That's why I prefer sleeping off the ground in a hammock. At one particular site, 1 woke up with water below me. The river had risen so much that it flooded the fores!. But I also lave the breeze being suspended in lhe air. l'm convinced you sleep beller with the swaying ...

Of course, we're here to work. That means finding, measuring, photographing, identifying, and in some cases, collecting specimens. 1 focus on Neotropical fish species, and I learn A LOT from talking to local people about fishes. lt is an important part of their diet and the economy. Because they're fishermen themselves, they have firsthand knowledge of things like fish behavior, where and when to find them, and how to catch them. I1's such important information when trying to understand the landscape, people, and fishes for conservation.

At the end of each day, we have seen, collected and photographed so many specimens. But there is still more work to do at night - which means working by candlelight or putting on our headlamps. Some groups stay up until one in the morning, like the botany team pressing plants. The reptile & amphibian and fish teams go out for their night survey, and the mammal team sets up mist nets to catch bats! lt's activity around the clock for a rapid inventory team.

At the end of lhe day, we may be exhausted, but it really is a privilege to sei foot in these natural areas and learn from the local people and scientists. On this trip alone, we documented 750 species of plants and 686 species of vertebrates! And we estimate there are more than double these numbers in the area. The more we know about what lives in rich natural areas like the Amazon rainforest, the easier it is for us to work together to protect the landscapes where they live and the people who depend on them.

(Adapted from https://www.fieldmuseum.org/blog)

What lt's Like to Live in the Jungle for a Month

December 10, 2018

Lesley de Souza (Keller Science Action Center)

Our team of Field Museum scientists - experts on fish, plants, amphibians, mammals, and more - traveled to Colombia to join regional and national scientists for a month, with the geai of going deep into the rainforest and documenting as much wildlife as possible. We've dane several trips like this, called rapid inventaries, in the Amazon basin, but this one fel! especially important. We were exploring an area that no scientists had entered for over sixty years because of guerrillas.

Now we're able to venture into this region, but it is also exposed to threats. Deforestation is moving into this area ai an alarming rate. With a focused mission, we explore lhe beautiful landscape and its many diverse critters while working and learning from lhe people who live there.

But getting into the rainforest - il's no easy feat! After taking a commercial airliner from Chicago, we made our way into the jungle by bush plane, upriver by boat, and lastly, on our own two feet. To get to one campsite, we hiked for a mile in a flooded creek, balancing on floating logs.

Each campsite is a little different, but it's always important to sei up a kitchen and dining area! Typical meals include fish, rice, beans, plantains, and oatmeal - repeat, repeat, repeat. A definite bonus of fieldwork life? Brewing fresh hot chocolate from local cacao in the jungle. Plus, lots of coffee keeps us going for long days (and late nights) of collecting and recording data.

You realize what a force nature is - especially during rainy season in the Amazon. That's why I prefer sleeping off the ground in a hammock. At one particular site, 1 woke up with water below me. The river had risen so much that it flooded the fores!. But I also lave the breeze being suspended in lhe air. l'm convinced you sleep beller with the swaying ...

Of course, we're here to work. That means finding, measuring, photographing, identifying, and in some cases, collecting specimens. 1 focus on Neotropical fish species, and I learn A LOT from talking to local people about fishes. lt is an important part of their diet and the economy. Because they're fishermen themselves, they have firsthand knowledge of things like fish behavior, where and when to find them, and how to catch them. I1's such important information when trying to understand the landscape, people, and fishes for conservation.

At the end of each day, we have seen, collected and photographed so many specimens. But there is still more work to do at night - which means working by candlelight or putting on our headlamps. Some groups stay up until one in the morning, like the botany team pressing plants. The reptile & amphibian and fish teams go out for their night survey, and the mammal team sets up mist nets to catch bats! lt's activity around the clock for a rapid inventory team.

At the end of lhe day, we may be exhausted, but it really is a privilege to sei foot in these natural areas and learn from the local people and scientists. On this trip alone, we documented 750 species of plants and 686 species of vertebrates! And we estimate there are more than double these numbers in the area. The more we know about what lives in rich natural areas like the Amazon rainforest, the easier it is for us to work together to protect the landscapes where they live and the people who depend on them.

(Adapted from https://www.fieldmuseum.org/blog)