USU Faculty Member Receives National Award for Sleep Research
By Sharon Holland
The American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) presented its 2020 Trainee Investigator Award to Navy Lt. Cmdr. (Dr.) J. Kent Werner, assistant professor in USU’s Department of Neurology, on June 15 during its annual membership meeting.
Navy Lt. Cmdr. (Dr.) J. Kent Werner displays the 2020 Trainee Investigator Award presented to him by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine. (Courtesy photo) |
Werner, who recently completed his sleep fellowship at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, was selected for the Trainee Investigator Award based on his abstract, “Poor Sleep Quality Predicts Serum Markers of Neurodegeneration and Cognitive Deficits in Warriors with Mild Traumatic Brain Injury." His abstract was among 85 submitted and was selected after three rounds of blind reviews.
“I was surprised and honored to be chosen for this award. It would not have been possible without the servicemembers who enrolled in the Chronic Effects of Neurotrauma Consortium led, in part, by Professor Kimbra Kenney in the USU Department of Neurology. I also want to recognize Dr. Jessica Gill and her lab at the National Institute of Nursing Research, who is appointed at the USU Center for Neuroscience and Regenerative Medicine, for contributing the protein measurements. Lastly, I want to thank my other coauthors: Drs. Pashtun Shahim, Chen Lai, and Ramon Diaz-Arrastia, as well as USU statistician Sorana Raiciulescu and USU medical student, 2nd Lt. Josephine Pucci.”
“The link between traumatic brain injury and dementia, or neurodegeneration, was established over the last two decades, but investigators did not account for the potential contribution from sleep dysfunction – a treatable, known risk factor for dementia. Our study revealed that poor sleep quality correlated with 1) elevated levels of “neurofilament light” – a marker of dying neurons; and 2) poorer performance in cognitive testing. This raises a new question: Does poor sleep link traumatic brain injury to neurodegeneration? If so, it may mean that treating sleep disorders after traumatic brain injury could reduce the risk of dementia,” said Werner.
“It’s an exciting story that could bring hope for new therapies if it proves to be true.”