Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41715219›Full record

Trial reportTrials2026

The Alzheimer's Pathways Sleep Study (ALPS): an experimental randomized controlled trial to improve cognition and Alzheimer's pathophysiology through slow-wave sleep.

Yue C Dong, Rima F Habte, Kibra M Dessa, Mary E Fletcher, Angela M Ianni, Brian J Lopresti, Howard J Aizenstein, Ann D Cohen, Thomas K Karikari, Andrea M Weinstein and 4 more

Registry-linked trialAbstract readClinical Trial, Phase IRandomized Controlled Trial
In one paragraph

Trial report in Trials, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT05138848 (Slow-wave Sleep Enhancement in Those at Risk for Alzheimer's Disease), which is not on this map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

NCT05138848 early_phase1completednot on this map

Slow-wave Sleep Enhancement in Those at Risk for Alzheimer's Disease: Links With Memory, Excitotoxicity, and Plasma A-beta

TypeinterventionalSponsorUniversity of PittsburghRan2022 to 2026Enrolled99ConditionsAlzheimer Disease, Late Onset, Mild Cognitive Impairment, Sleep, Cognitive ChangeArmsTime in Bed Restriction, Sleep Schedule
3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

14 authors.

Yue C DongUniversity of Pittsburgh School of Nursing, Pittsburgh, USA.
Rima F HabteUniversity of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, USA.
Kibra M DessaUniversity of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, USA.
Mary E FletcherUniversity of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, USA.
Angela M IanniDepartment of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, USA.
Brian J LoprestiDepartment of Radiology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, USA.
Howard J AizensteinDepartment of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, USA.
Ann D CohenDepartment of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, USA.
Thomas K KarikariDepartment of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, USA.
Andrea M WeinsteinDepartment of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, USA.
Marie Anne GebaraDepartment of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, USA.
Meredith L WallaceDepartment of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, USA.
Daniel J BuysseDepartment of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, USA.
Kristine A WilckensDepartment of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, USA. wilckenska@upmc.edu.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-8273-8476

Funding

Vascular Moderators of the Impact of Alzheimer's Pathology in the Young-OldP01AG025204 · NIA · UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH AT PITTSBURGH · PI HOWARD J AIZENSTEIN, Ann D. Cohen · 2005 to 2026
$56.5M
Plasma brain-derived tau: a novel Alzheimer’s disease-type neurodegeneration biomarker with potential to complete the AT(N) scheme in bloodR01AG083874 · NIA · UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH AT PITTSBURGH · PI Thomas K Karikari · 2023 to 2026
$14.5M
Slow-wave sleep enhancement in those at risk for Alzheimer's disease: Links with memory, excitotoxicity, and plasma A-betaR01AG068001 · NIA · UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH AT PITTSBURGH · PI WILCKENS, KRISTINE ANN · 2021 to 2025
$3.4M
Intraindividual Cognitive Variability as an Early Marker of Alzheimer's DiseaseK23AG076663 · NIA · UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH AT PITTSBURGH · PI Andrea Weinstein · 2022 to 2026
$915k
Slow-wave sleep and executive network function in older adultsK01AG049879 · NIA · UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH AT PITTSBURGH · PI WILCKENS, KRISTINE ANN · 2016 to 2020
$713k
NIA NIH HHS K01 AG049879NIA NIH HHS K23 AG076663NIA NIH HHS P01 AG025204NIA NIH HHS R01 AG068001NIA NIH HHS R01 AG083874
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundSlow-wave activity (0.5-4 Hz electroencephalographic activity) during non-rapid eye movement sleep is consistently associated with better cognitive performance in older adults. Slow-wave activity is known to regulate synaptic plasticity and may thereby mitigate excitotoxicity and accumulation of Alzheimer's pathology. Paradoxically, longer total sleep times in older adults are often associated with poorer cognition and general health. Conventional behavioral sleep treatments robustly increase sleep efficiency and sleep time, but do not consistently enhance slow-wave activity and have shown only subtle effects on cognition. Thus, enhancement of slow-wave activity may be a critical target for sleep-based cognitive enhancement. The Alzheimer's Pathways Sleep Study (ALPS) uses a novel time-in-bed (TiB) restriction intervention designed to increase slow-wave activity through homeostatic sleep drive and assesses improvements in measures of excitotoxic hippocampal hyperactivation, plasma levels of amyloid beta (Aβ), and overnight memory retention.

methodsALPS is a randomized controlled trial designed to increase slow-wave activity behaviorally in older adults with poor sleep. Target enrollment is 116 participants aged 65-85. Participants are randomized to a TiB restriction intervention or an attention-matched control intervention. Participants randomized to TiB restriction follow a sleep schedule restricting their TiB to 85% of their habitual TiB for 4 weeks. The control group follows their habitual TiB for 4 weeks. Both groups are monitored with diary, actigraphy, check-in calls, and sleepiness ratings over the 4 weeks. The primary outcomes for four specific aims are (1) absolute power in the slow oscillation (0.5-1 Hz) range during non-rapid eye movement sleep, (2) hippocampal activation during memory encoding, (3) plasma Aβ DISCUSSION: Behavioral enhancement of homeostatic sleep drive through TiB restriction is a promising approach to improve memory performance and Alzheimer's pathophysiology. Safety measures, as described here, should be implemented to minimize risks associated with TiB restriction.

trial registrationClinicalTrials.gov NCT05138848. Registered on December 1, 2021.

Indexed as

Alzheimer DiseaseCognitionCognitive AgingSleep, Slow-WaveAgedAged, 80 and overAge FactorsAmyloid beta-PeptidesBiomarkersCognitive EnhancementElectroencephalographyFemaleHippocampusHumansMaleMemoryAmyloid beta-PeptidesBiomarkersAlzheimer’s diseaseBehavioral sleep interventionsCognitive agingExecutive functionInsomniaRandomized controlled trialsSleep-dependent memory consolidationSleep efficiencySlow-wave sleep

Identifiers

PMID41715219
PMCPMC13020175

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Registered trials

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.