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The Brain Resilience Study: Structural Connectivity Network Features Relate to Cognitive, Sleep and Sex Differences in Older Adults.

Poster Session E - Monday, March 9, 2026, 2:30 – 4:30 pm PDT, Fairview/Kitsilano Ballroom

Leanne Rokos^1,2 (), Anthony R McIntosh^1,2, Kashish Mehta^1,3, Alex Wiesman^1,2, Brianne Kent^1,3, Kelly Shen^1,2; ¹Institute for Neuroscience and Neurotechnology, Simon Fraser University, ²Faculty of Science, Simon Fraser University, ³Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, Simon Fraser University

Brain health outcomes in aging vary widely across individuals. The Brain Resilience Study aims to identify factors that modulate individual differences in resilience and decline in aging by examining risk factors, alongside cognitive and neurobiological variables. In this study, we examined sex differences in how sleep and cognition relate to structural network features in older adults. Multimodal data were collected from 62 participants (52% males; age=68.1±8.4 years) and included structural imaging (T1w, diffusion MRI), and sleep and cognitive assessments. Structural connectivity was estimated and used to examine network segregation, including local clustering and modularity. Sleep and cognitive measures included scores from the Montreal Cognitive Assessment, Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), Paired Associates Learning task, and Mnemonic Similarity Task. Age and sex were also included for analysis. Behavioural partial least squares analyses examined sex differences in the relationship between network segregation and cognition. Significant latent variables indicated that older adults with lower cognitive performance exhibited higher modularity and lower clustering within visual and attention networks, consistent with reported sensory network changes in ageing (Khalilian et al., 2024). Post-hoc analyses with age and PSQI scores indicated that modularity and clustering were associated with older age and worse sleep quality for female but not male participants. Our findings suggest an interplay between sex, brain structure, and modifiable lifestyle factors such as sleep that influences cognitive function. This work offers insight into the determinants of brain resilience and provides a framework for developing personalized strategies to preserve or enhance cognitive function in older adults.

Topic Area: LONG-TERM MEMORY: Development & aging