The Complex Connection Between Memory Loss and Fibromyalgia

Another symptom that could possibly be connected to cognitive function is sleep disruption. The patients who have the most disrupted sleep often have the lowest cognitive scores, which shouldn’t come as much of a surprise to anyone who has had a busy and hectic day after a night of no sleep. The study measured this by asking patients to wear activity monitors. The monitors are worn around the wrist, and are reminiscent of a watch. They measure how much a person is moving around. Almost like a FitBit. At night, most people are asleep, or at least slowed down and unwinding after their day.

By looking at the data that was collected from the activity monitors, the researchers could see how often a person woke up during the night, which allowed them to calculate the percentage of time a person spent sleeping during the night. The research shows that patients with fibromyalgia had lower percentages of time asleep at nights. This measure of sleep, however, was not related to their cognitive performance. Similarly, any self-reported fatigue felt during the day was also not linked to cognitive performance.