Too much sleep can hurt cognitive performance, especially for those with depression, UT Health San Antonio study finds

University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio

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SAN ANTONIO, May 14, 2025 – There might be such a thing as getting too much of a good night’s sleep.

Sleeping nine hours or more per night is associated with worse cognitive performance, which is even more the case for those with depression, a study led by researchers at The University of Texas Health Science Center (UT Health San Antonio) shows.

They derived the results from an examination of sleep duration and cognition in 1,853 dementia-and-stroke-free participants in the Framingham Heart Study, which is an ongoing community-based cohort study of residents in Framingham, Massachusetts, under the direction of the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute of the National Institutes of Health. This latest examination focused on those ages 27 to 85 with a mean age of 49.8 years.

“Also, long-sleepers were more likely to report symptoms of depression,” said Vanessa Young, MS, clinical research project manager at the Glenn Biggs Institute for Alzheimer’s and Neurodegenerative Diseases at UT Health San Antonio. “Sleep may be a modifiable risk for cognitive decline in people with depression.”

Young, who also is with the Translational Science PhD program in the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences at UT Health San Antonio, is first author of the study titled, “Long sleep duration, cognitive performance, and the moderating role of depression: A cross-sectional analysis in the Framingham Heart Study,” published April 21 in Alzheimer’s & Dementia: The Journal of the Alzheimer’s Association.

Authors also represent Arizona State University; the Framingham Heart Study; Hôpital du Sacré-Coeur de Montréal; University of Montreal; Boston University; and Monash University, Australia.

“Long but not short sleep duration was associated with poorer global cognition and specific cognitive abilities like memory, visuospatial skills and executive functions,” said Sudha Seshadri, founding director of the Biggs Institute and senior author of the study. “These associations were stronger in people with depressive symptoms, regardless of antidepressant usage.”

Sleep and brain health

According to the study, there is increasing recognition of the significance of sleep as a vital physiological process for brain health. Disturbances in sleep duration and patterns have been observed across lifespans and are present in both normal and pathological aging.

These disturbances contribute to an increased risk of cognitive deficits and Alzheimer’s disease. The Global Council on Brain Health recommends 7 to 8 hours of nightly sleep for adults to preserve brain health. Several studies have suggested that both excessive and insufficient sleep relative to the prescribed duration are linked to impairments in cognitive domains, including memory, attention and the ability to manage and direct other mental processes, such as planning, problem-solving and controlling impulses. 

However, evidence has been marked by inconsistencies depending on the lifespan being examined, and on health differences such as depression. Depression, a modifiable risk factor for cognitive decline, often co-occurs with sleep disorders. The association between sleep disorders and depression is well established, with about 90% of people with depression reporting problems with sleep, the study notes.

In the new research, the scientists investigated whether depression modified the associations between sleep duration and cognitive performance. The Framingham participants were categorized into four groups: no depressive symptoms, no antidepressants; depressive symptoms without antidepressant use; antidepressant use without depressive symptoms; and depressive symptoms and antidepressant use.

They found that long sleep was associated with reduced overall cognitive function, with the strongest effects in those with depressive symptoms using and not using antidepressants. Weaker but significant effects were observed in those without depressive symptoms. No significant associations were observed in participants using antidepressants without depressive symptoms.

With that, they concluded that associations between sleep duration and cognitive performance are strongest in individuals with depressive symptoms, regardless of antidepressant use.

“Future longitudinal studies including large-scale, multi-modal approaches are needed to further elucidate the temporal relationship between sleep disturbances and cognitive changes,” the researchers said in their conclusion.

 

Long sleep duration, cognitive performance, and the moderating role of depression: A cross-sectional analysis in the Framingham Heart Study

Vanessa M. Young, Rebecca Bernal, Andree-Ann Baril, Joy Zeynoun, Crystal Wiedner, Carlos Gaona, Alexa Beiser, Antonio L. Teixeira, Arash Salardini, Matthew P. Pase, Jayandra Jung Himali, Sudha Seshadri

First published: April 21, 2025, Alzheimer’s & Dementia: The Journal of the Alzheimer’s Association

Link to full study: https://alz-journals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/alz.70160

 

The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio (UT Health San Antonio) is one of the country’s leading health science and research universities. With missions of teaching, research and patient care, its schools of medicine, nursing, dentistry, health professions, graduate biomedical sciences and public health have graduated more than 45,000 alumni who are leading change, advancing their fields and renewing hope for patients and their families throughout South Texas and the world. To learn about the many ways “We make lives better®,” visit UTHealthSA.org.

 

Stay connected with UT Health San Antonio on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram and YouTube.

The Glenn Biggs Institute for Alzheimer's and Neurodegenerative Diseases is dedicated to providing comprehensive dementia care while advancing treatment through clinical trials and research. The Biggs Institute is a National Institute on Aging (NIA)-designated Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center (ADRC). In addition to patient care and research, the Biggs Institute partners with the School of Nursing at UT Health Science Center San Antonio to offer the Caring for the Caregiver program. 

 

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Journal

Alzheimer’s & Dementia

DOI

10.1002/alz.70160 

Method of Research

Data/statistical analysis

Subject of Research

People

Article Title

Long sleep duration, cognitive performance, and the moderating role of depression: A cross-sectional analysis in the Framingham Heart Study

 

No car, no problem: Unlikely car-free families

The Hebrew University of Jerusalem

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In a world where cars symbolize freedom, some Israeli families are finding liberation in going without them. A new study from the Hebrew University explores the surprising motivations of middle-class parents in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem who choose to live car-free—not out of necessity, but by design. Their reasons range from fear of driving to a desire for healthier lifestyles, stronger communities, and more independent children. These “outlier” families offer powerful insights that challenge transportation norms and open new avenues for policy and planning.

[Hebrew University of Jerusalem]– In a society where owning a car is often seen as essential, a new study by researchers from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem sheds light on an unlikely trend: middle-class families with children who voluntarily choose to live without a car.

The study, conducted by Professor. Galit Cohen-Blankshtain and Professor. Anat Gofen from the Federmann School of Public Policy and Governance at Hebrew University, examined 27 Israeli families in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv that have opted for a carless lifestyle. Contrary to expectations, these families were not primarily motivated by financial limitations or environmental concerns. Instead, their decisions stemmed from a mix of personal values, such as promoting children’s independence, maintaining a healthy lifestyle, fostering a strong sense of community, and—perhaps most unexpectedly—fear of driving or car ownership responsibilities.

“Our research shows that although a carless lifestyle poses challenges, there are many benefits that are overlooked by car-dependent families.” said Professor. Cohen-Blankshtain. “Their experiences highlight interesting motivations and adaptive practices that could reshape how we think about transportation policy.”

The study identifies instrumental and emotional strategies used by carless families to navigate daily life—such as living in walkable neighborhoods, using taxis or rental cars when necessary, and customizing their routines to reduce the need for spontaneous travel. The researchers argue that these outlier families offer valuable insights into reducing society’s dependence on private vehicles.

According to Professor. Gofen, “Studying the outliers helps us expand the conversation beyond typical economic or environmental rationales. These families remind us that meaningful change often starts with those who don’t follow the mainstream.”

The authors advocate for broader policy support to make car-free living more accessible, including improved mobility services, public messaging that emphasizes the benefits of active and community-oriented lifestyles, and tools to help all families move away from default car dependence.

This study is published in the Journal of Transport Geography and contributes to global conversations on sustainable urban mobility, outlier-focused policy design, and the future of family life in dense urban environments.
 

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Journal

Journal of Transport Geography

DOI

10.1016/j.jtrangeo.2024.104095 

Method of Research

Observational study

Subject of Research

People

Article Title

Understanding voluntary carlessness: Why outliers matter

 

Uncovering compounds that tame the heat of chili peppers

American Chemical Society

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When biting into a chili pepper, you expect a fiery sensation on your tongue. This spiciness is detected because of capsaicinoid compounds. But for some peppers, despite high levels of capsaicinoids, the heat is mysteriously dull. Now, researchers reporting in ACS’ Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry have identified three compounds that lessen peppers’ pungency. These results challenge the reliability of the century-old Scoville scale, which traditionally bases its rating on two capsaicinoids.

“The discovery of natural dietary compounds that reduce pungency presents promising opportunities for both the food and pharmaceutical industries,” says Devin Peterson, the corresponding author of the study.

Capsaicinoids are a group of compounds that produce the strong spicy sensation or pungency that comes with consuming chili peppers. The combined amount of capsaicin and dihydrocapsaicin in a pepper is used to calculate its heat intensity rating on the Scoville scale, ranging from zero Scoville Heat Units (SHU) for bell peppers to millions of SHU for the hottest peppers. However, some of these fruits have less heat than would be expected from their Scoville rating, which suggests that something else in the pepper influences that spicy sensation. So, Peterson, Joel Borcherding and Edisson Tello wanted to investigate multiple chili pepper varieties for potential spiciness suppressors.

Initially, they collected dry, powdered samples from 10 types of peppers, including Chile de árbol, serrano, African bird’s eye, Fatalii and Scotch bonnet. The amount of capsaicin and dihydrocapsaicin in each was determined by liquid chromatography mass spectrometry. Then a trained panel of taste testers evaluated the intensity of the powders in tomato juice. Each mixture had 800 SHU (a level meant to be spicy but tolerable). Despite the same amount of capsaicin and dihydrocapsaicin in each tasting sample, the 10 peppers’ perceived heat intensities ranged significantly, suggesting other chemical constituents in the peppers impacted the sensation.

After additional chemical composition analyses on the pepper powders and performing complex statistical analysis, the researchers identified five compounds that could be modulating pepper spiciness. Another set of panelists assessed whether these compounds, alone or in combination, changed the pungency of capsaicin and dihydrocapsaicin. Three of the five compounds (capsianoside I, roseoside and gingerglycolipid A) reduced the heat intensity, though they didn’t have an additive effect when combined. In addition, none of the spiciness suppressors had a noticeable flavor in water.

“These advancements could enable the customization of desirable spicy flavor profiles or lead to the creation of a household ingredient designed to tone down excessive heat in dishes — the anti-spice,” says Peterson. “Additionally, they hold significant medical potential in the design of (non-opioid) analgesic agents for pain management."

The authors acknowledge funding from the Flavor Research and Education Center at The Ohio State University.

The study’s experimental approach was approved by the Ethics Committee of The Ohio State University.

The paper’s abstract will be available on May 14 at 8 a.m. Eastern time here: http://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/acs.jafc.5c01448

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The American Chemical Society (ACS) is a nonprofit organization founded in 1876 and chartered by the U.S. Congress. ACS is committed to improving all lives through the transforming power of chemistry. Its mission is to advance scientific knowledge, empower a global community and champion scientific integrity, and its vision is a world built on science. The Society is a global leader in promoting excellence in science education and providing access to chemistry-related information and research through its multiple research solutions, peer-reviewed journals, scientific conferences, e-books and weekly news periodical Chemical & Engineering News. ACS journals are among the most cited, most trusted and most read within the scientific literature; however, ACS itself does not conduct chemical research. As a leader in scientific information solutions, its CAS division partners with global innovators to accelerate breakthroughs by curating, connecting and analyzing the world’s scientific knowledge. ACS’ main offices are in Washington, D.C., and Columbus, Ohio.

Registered journalists can subscribe to the ACS journalist news portal on EurekAlert! to access embargoed and public science press releases. For media inquiries, contact newsroom@acs.org.

Note: ACS does not conduct research but publishes and publicizes peer-reviewed scientific studies.

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Journal

Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry

DOI

10.1021/acs.jafc.5c01448 

Article Title

“Identification of Chili Pepper Compounds That Suppress Pungency Perception”

Article Publication Date

14-May-2025

 

Updated version of the "How Equitable Is It?" tool for assessing equity in scholarly communication models

PLOSEmail

[Strasbourg, 14 May 2025] The “How Equitable Is It?” tool, designed to assess the equity of scholarly communication models, has been officially launched today in its updated version following a comprehensive review of community feedback. Originally introduced as a beta version in September 2024 at the OASPA conference, this refined version of the tool incorporates significant improvements based on input from across the scholarly publishing ecosystem.

Developed by a multi-stakeholder Working Group, comprising librarians, library consortia representatives, funders and publishers, and convened by cOAlition S, Jisc and PLOS, the tool aims to provide a framework for evaluating scholarly communication models and arrangements on the axis of equity.

Key enhancements

The revised tool offers enhanced guidance for users and clearer definitions of equity indicators, across the seven core assessment criteria:

• Access to Read 
• Publishing immediate Open Access 
• Maximizing participation 
• Re-use rights 
• Pricing and fee transparency 
• Promoting and encouraging open research practices: data and code 
• Promoting and encouraging open research practices: preprints and open peer review

Community-driven improvements

From September 2024 through January 2025, the Working Group collected extensive feedback from stakeholders who tested the beta version. This collaborative approach ensured that the tool's updated version addresses practical challenges faced by institutions, library consortia, funders, and publishers in evaluating equity within scholarly communication models and arrangements.

The tool, which was inspired by the “How Open Is It?” framework, is targeted at institutions, library consortia, funders and publishers, i.e. the stakeholders either investing or receiving funds for publishing services. It offers users the opportunity to rate scholarly communication models and arrangements across seven criteria: 

Robert Kiley, Head of Strategy at cOAlition S and co-Chair of the Working Group, stated: “We are grateful to everyone who provided feedback during the testing period. Their insights have been instrumental in refining this tool to better serve stakeholders in making informed decisions when investing or receiving funds for publishing services while seeking equity”.

Roheena Anand, Executive Director of Global Publishing Development & Sales at PLOS, added: "With this updated release, we're delivering on our promise to create a practical tool that reflects diverse stakeholder perspectives. The refinements made based on community feedback have strengthened the tool's ability to assess equity across different publishing models and arrangements."

Anna Vernon, Head of Research Licensing at Jisc, commented: "We've been using the “How Equitable Is It?” tool to understand how agreements can broaden participation in scholarly publishing. The clearer framework of the updated version will further allow institutions to make more nuanced assessments of how their resources can best support equitable knowledge dissemination."

How the tool works

Based on the above-mentioned criteria, the “How Equitable Is It?” tool prompts users to consider to what extent the model (and associated funding flow) they are assessing facilitates (or restricts) equitable participation in knowledge sharing. Users score each criterion on a scale from "least equitable" to "most equitable," receiving an overall equity score upon completion, along with a summary of their responses.

Rather than prescribing outcomes, the tool empowers users to exercise their judgment in rating models against equitable criteria, with no pre-populated data shaping evaluations.

The "How Equitable Is It?" tool is available at https://coalitions.typeform.com/Equity-Tool. A detailed description of the revised criteria and their definitions can be accessed at: Framework_criteria_definitions.pdf

Future development

The Working Group remains committed to the ongoing development of the tool, with plans to gather implementation case studies and establish a community of practice around equity assessment in scholarly communication. Users of the tool are encouraged to share their experiences at info@coalition-s.org.  The Group will review this feedback and publish annual updates as appropriate.

 

McGill researchers lead project to reform youth mental health care in Canada

Novel program improves access and cuts delays, including for Indigenous and underserved youths, study finds

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McGill University

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New data from a national project led by McGill University researchers shows that redesigning youth mental health services can significantly cut wait times and connect more young people to care.

The ACCESS Open Minds project was launched in 2014 to address gaps in access to quality mental health care, especially for Indigenous, remote and underserved communities. Findings published in Jama Psychiatry provide the first assessment of the program’s outcomes across Canada.

“We focused on transforming existing programs in clinics, schools and youth centres to make them more accessible, youth-friendly and culturally appropriate,” said lead author Srividya Iyer, Professor in McGill’s Department of Psychiatry and Researcher at the Douglas Research Centre.

The program was developed, implemented and evaluated by McGill researchers, in collaboration with colleagues at universities across Canada, as well as youth, families, community organizations and policymakers.

A measurable impact

Access to mental health care typically requires a professional referral, a step the authors say can be slow and discouraging for youth. ACCESS Open Minds removed that barrier by letting youth reach out for help on their own. It also set clear service targets: an evaluation within three days and treatment within 30 days – benchmarks few public services are able to achieve.

Over four years, nearly 8,000 youth ages 11 to 25 were referred across 11 study sites. Most were seen within three days, far faster than the typical wait of between 45 days and more than a year, say the authors. Referrals rose by 10 per cent every six months.

“At our downtown Montreal site for homeless youth, we saw a dramatic increase in the number of young people accessing services. Even with this increased demand, with just two additional staff, we were still able to see the majority of young people within 72 hours,” said Iyer, who is also Canada Research Chair in Youth, Mental Health and Learning Health Systems.

The project also involved adjusting workflows, training staff, and improving co-ordination among service providers, largely done using existing resources.

Model has helped shape Quebec’s Aire ouverte network

Of the 16 communities served across Canada, five were in Quebec. In the northern region of Nunavik, the team worked with Indigenous youth and Elders to transform a garage into a warm, youth-friendly hub where teens could connect and fix hunting gear.

In downtown Montreal, young people experiencing homelessness received holistic care through partnerships with shelters, soup kitchens, clinics and even a circus.

“We worked with Cirque Hors Piste to develop artistic programs. We wanted to create space for young people to express themselves and show that we care for the whole person, not just their symptoms,” Iyer said.

The authors say their model has helped shape Quebec’s Aire Ouverte network and similar initiatives across Canada.

They are now exploring ways to address the broader factors affecting mental health.

“From climate anxiety and unaffordable housing to precarious jobs and the impact of AI, the root causes of these challenges must be addressed in our systems,” Iyer said.

About the study

“An Approach to Providing Timely Mental Health Services to Diverse Youth Populations” by Srividya Iyer and Ashok Malla et al., was published in JAMA Psychiatry.

ACCESS Open Minds was funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research and the Graham Boeckh Foundation as part of Canada’s Strategy for Patient-Oriented Research.

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Journal

JAMA Psychiatry

DOI

10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2024.4880. 

Method of Research

Case study

Subject of Research

People

Article Title

An Approach to Providing Timely Mental Health Services to Diverse Youth Populations

 

Yellow fever vaccination: how strong immune responses are triggered

Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München

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Researchers show how specific immune cells are activated by the vaccine – an important starting point for the development of new vaccines.

 

The yellow fever vaccination using the live-attenuated YF17D vaccine is one of the most effective immunizations available. A single dose provides long-lasting protection against the disease. Due to the strength and long-lasting nature of the immune response it triggers, this vaccine serves as an excellent model for studying effective immune defense mechanisms against viral infections. However, it is still not fully understood how exactly this vaccine elicits such an exceptionally strong immune response.

 

A team led by immunology professor Anne Krug at LMU‘s Biomedical Center (BMC) in collaboration with Simon Rothenfußer, professor at LMU University Hospital, has investigated how specific immune cells—namely dendritic cells (DCs) and monocytes—respond to the vaccine. To this end, various DC and monocyte cell types were analyzed in the blood of over 200 healthy adults before and after vaccination. Following vaccination, many of these immune cells showed typical activation by so-called interferons—messenger molecules that play a key role in the body’s defense against viruses. A particularly striking finding was the cell surface molecule SIGLEC-1, which became more prominent on certain cell types within one week of vaccination and was associated with the rapid formation of protective antibodies against the yellow fever virus.

 

“Our study provides new insights into how the immune system responds to a highly effective viral vaccine” says Krug. “These findings could support the development of new vaccines that offer rapid protection, for example in the context of emerging epidemics. Additionally, SIGLEC-1 may serve as a useful biomarker in future vaccine studies.”

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Journal

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences

DOI

10.1073/pnas.2422236122 

Article Title

Interferon-induced activation of dendritic cells and monocytes by yellow fever vaccination correlates with early antibody responses