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The association between self-reported sleep quality, physical activity and cognition in middle-aged females

Poster Session A - Saturday, March 7, 2026, 3:00 – 5:00 pm PST, Fairview/Kitsilano Ballrooms

Harleen Rai¹ (harleen.k.rai@torontomu.ca), Sricharana Rajagopal¹, Julia Kearley², Rikki Lissaman³, M. Natasha Rajah^1,2; ¹Toronto Metropolitan University, ²McGill University, ³Royal Holloway, University of London

Cognitive control is affected by neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Two-thirds of AD cases are diagnosed in females, and AD-related pathology is hypothesized to be present at midlife. As such, midlife is a critical period for studying sex-specific experiences, like menopause, to help with early detection and prevention of AD and related dementias. Lifestyle factors, like physical activity and sleep quality, are key protective modifiers of midlife brain and cognitive health. However, limited studies have examined whether and how these factors may mitigate age-related decline in cognitive control in middle-aged females. This study aims to investigate the interaction between menopause status and lifestyle factors on cognitive control in middle-aged females (40–65 years). It utilizes data from the ongoing Brain Health at Midlife and Menopause (BHAMM) study. BHAMM is a cross-sectional study examining brain and cognitive health at midlife. Through secure online platforms, participants complete questionnaires assessing sleep quality and physical activity, followed by a neuropsychological assessment. This study includes 211 middle-aged females (mean age = 51.59). It is hypothesized that cognitive performance will correlate negatively with age and positively with sleep quality and physical activity, suggesting that lifestyle factors may buffer menopause-related cognitive decline. Furthermore, a stronger negative association between age and cognitive performance is expected in the post- compared to the pre-menopausal group, and the positive effects of sleep quality and physical activity are expected to be more pronounced in the post-menopausal group. Identifying lifestyle factors that promote cognitive resilience during midlife is crucial for early prevention strategies.

Topic Area: EXECUTIVE PROCESSES: Monitoring & inhibitory control