International recommendations for sleep and circadian research in aging and Alzheimer's disease: A Delphi consensus study.

INTRODUCTION

Research in the field of sleep, aging, and dementia is rapidly growing. Consensus guidance is needed to facilitate high-quality research, comparability, and consistency.

METHODS

A modified Delphi consensus study was conducted by the Sleep and Circadian Rhythms Professional Interest Area of the International Society to Advance Alzheimer's Research and Treatment (ISTAART) and an international panel of experts to establish recommendations for future research.

RESULTS

After two voting rounds, the group (1) determined by consensus the most relevant sleep and circadian features to assess in the context of aging and dementia research, (2) established recommendations on data acquisition and report for future studies, and (3) identified high-priority future directions.

DISCUSSION: This expert consensus study provides guidance to develop high-quality sleep and circadian research in the context of aging and dementia. Similar recommendations will need to be established for clinical practice.

HIGHLIGHTS: We report the results of an international expert consensus study. Sleep and circadian rhythms features relevant to aging and dementia were identified. Recommendations on data acquisition and reporting were established. High-priority future research directions were identified.