We’re incredibly proud of Prof Sharon Naismith, who delivered a prestigious plenary presentation at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference® (AAIC) 2025, held in Toronto, Canada from July 27–31.
đź“Ť Plenary title: Waking Up to the Importance of Sleep in MCI and AD
🎤 Speaker: Prof Sharon Naismith, D.Psych
Leonard P Ullman Chair in Psychology, Charles Perkins Centre, University of Sydney
In front of an international audience, Prof Naismith made a compelling case for elevating sleep in the conversation around dementia prevention and care. Her plenary brought together clinical and biological perspectives, underscoring that sleep is not just a symptom of cognitive decline—it may be a key contributor and early indicator.
🔑 Key takeaways from the session:
- Sleep disturbances are highly relevant in the clinic—they’re common, yet often under-detected
- Sleep problems are multidimensional and may serve as early prognostic features in MCI and Alzheimer’s
- While often assessed via self-report, objective measures (e.g. actigraphy, polysomnography) are needed to capture the full picture
- Sleep disturbances are treatable, but the evidence base—especially in dementia populations—still needs to grow
- They are linked to core Alzheimer’s pathology, including:
- Amyloid-β burden
- Orexin system changes
- Cognitive decline and memory consolidation
- Disruption of glymphatic clearance, the brain’s waste removal system during sleep
Prof Naismith’s message was clear: it’s time to wake up to the role of sleep in brain health, and integrate sleep more fully into dementia research, risk reduction, and clinical care.
📸 Photos from the plenary below:
