A - 91 Nocturnal Motor Activity and Wake after Sleep Onset and Neuropsychological Health in Veterans with Gulf War Illness.

This article focuses on the relationship between objective sleep parameters and neuropsychological health in Veterans with Gulf War Illness (GWI). Using actigraphy data collected over seven days from 85 Veterans, the study examined measures such as motor activity counts (MAC) during sleep, wake after sleep onset (WASO), time in bed (TIB), and total sleep time (TST), alongside self-reported questionnaires assessing sleep quality, depression, and PTSD symptoms, and cognitive function via the Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of Neuropsychological Status (RBANS). Findings indicated that increased nocturnal motor activity and wakefulness after sleep onset were associated with greater self-reported sleep disturbances, higher depression and PTSD symptoms, and lower cognitive performance. These results suggest that specific aspects of sleep disruption may serve as intervention targets to address mood and cognitive symptoms in Veterans with GWI.