2023-05-25 19:40:55
Claire André, postdoctoral fellow at the Faculty of Arts and Sciences of UdeM
The Alzheimer’s Association highlighted the work of several neuroscientists at the AAIC Neuroscience Next meeting, held at the University of Wisconsin-Madison in April. Six distinctions were awarded during a ceremony, including a One to Watch award to postdoctoral fellow from the Department of Psychology at the Université de Montréal Claire André. Awarded to students and early-career researchers, these awards recognize the next generation of neuroscience leaders who, through their scientific thought or their work, contribute to advancing research on Alzheimer’s disease.
Holder of a doctorate in psychology, Claire André studies the links between the quality of sleep and the cerebral and cognitive health of the elderly. Her research has notably led her to demonstrate that obstructive sleep apnea and paradoxical sleep disturbances are associated with a greater cerebral amyloid load as well as alterations in the structure and metabolism of cerebral gray matter in seniors without cognitive impairment. Although sleep apnea is common in the general population and more particularly in the elderly, it is often under-diagnosed, mentions the researcher, which can have serious consequences, such as an increase in the risk of cardiovascular disease and the onset of dementia. “We observed that cognitively healthy older people with moderate-to-advanced sleep apnea had a higher amyloid load, which is a typical feature of Alzheimer’s disease,” she explains. This is a significant observation in terms of prevention, since it suggests that sleep apnea has an early effect on brain health and that by treating apnea it may be possible to slow down cognitive decline.
A postdoctoral fellow at the Center for Advanced Studies in Sleep Medicine since 2020, she is currently working, alongside professors from the UdeM Department of Psychology Nadia Gosselin and Julie Carrier, to clarify the alterations of REM sleep associated with the loss of integrity of the cholinergic system in aging.
If she has been interested in the role of sleep in memory consolidation and brain health since her master’s studies, the one who is today an elected member of the steering committee of the group on sleep and circadian rhythms of Alzheimer’s Association International Society to Advance Alzheimer’s Research and Treatment is of the opinion that there is still too little research on sleep, especially considering the consequences it can have on quality of life. “Sleep is a fascinating aspect of biology, but it is still understudied. Yet it has a major impact on overall physical, mental and cognitive health. This is all the more important in the context of an aging population, where the issue of healthy aging is becoming a social issue. There are still many questions to explore in this field of research,” she concludes.
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