Sleep and circadian rhythms in the treatment, trajectory, and prevention of neurodegenerative disease

Neurodegenerative disorders account for a growing burden of disease globally, and this will only increase as the population ages (Feigin et al., 2019). Fortunately, there have been measurable strides in mitigating the impact of these devastating diseases. Several modifiable risk factors for neurodegeneration have been identified (Livingston et al., 2017), with sleep and circadian rhythms being considered promising targets for identifying individuals most at risk and for targeted interventions (Wulff et al., 2010). This special issue reviews the current state of the field of sleep and circadian rhythms and neurodegenerative diseases in aging populations. It focuses on abnormalities that precede and co-occur with neurodegenerative diseases and the neurobiological mechanisms that drive associations between sleep and neurodegeneration. Neurodegenerative diseases covered in this issue include Alzheimer's disease and other dementias, Parkinson's disease, Multiple System Atrophy, and Huntington's disease. Toward translation of this knowledge to patient care, the clinical utility of targeting sleep and circadian rhythms to reduce risk for, and delay the progression of, neurodegeneration is emphasized.