Sleep, physical activity, and pregnancy symptoms: Factors associated with cognitive performance in early pregnancy.
Virginia R Nuckols, Kristen G Davis, Gary L Pierce and 4 others
PMID 40907119WHAT IT FOUND
In early pregnancy, memory learning scores were lower than controls.
Physical symptoms were associated with worse memory interference, and longer sleep with better executive task scores. Stress, depression and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity were unrelated.
Key findings
01Pregnant women scored lower on total learning than non-pregnant controls after adjustment for age, education and parity.
02Higher physical symptom burden was associated with worse memory interference, and longer sleep duration was associated with better executive task performance.
03Depressed mood, perceived stress and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity were not independently associated with cognitive test scores.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
The study was cross-sectional, so it cannot show that symptoms, sleep or activity caused the cognitive differences. The sample was mostly highly educated non-Hispanic white pregnant women, so results may not apply to more diverse patients. The non-pregnant comparison group was parous and assessed 1 to 5 years after delivery, not nulliparous, and was older by a mean of three years than the pregnant group. Sleep duration was measured over 7 days, but sleep quality, fragmentation and chronotype were not assessed. Activity was measured as light, moderate-to-vigorous and sedentary time, not specific activity type or context. The memory difference was for total learning, while interference, executive and processing speed tasks did not differ from controls.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read the sleep and symptom associations as proof that changing them will improve cognition. The study was cross-sectional and did not test interventions.