# Network analysis of emotional symptoms and cognitive function changes in primary insomnia

## TL;DR

This study explores how emotional symptoms and cognitive issues are linked in people with primary insomnia, showing they are closely related.

## Contribution

The study introduces a network analysis approach to understand emotional and cognitive interactions in primary insomnia.

## Key findings

- Primary insomnia patients showed worse immediate and delayed memory compared to healthy controls.
- Anxiety and depression levels were positively correlated with cognitive dysfunction in insomnia patients.
- Naming and language abilities were significantly lower in the insomnia group.

## Abstract

Primary insomnia is a common and complex disorder characterized by a range of symptoms and consequences of varying severity. Long-term sleep disturbances can lead to anxiety, depression and cognitive dysfunctions. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between emotional changes and cognitive dysfunction in patients with primary insomnia and to explore the factors influencing the disorder.

The study participants included 40 patients with primary insomnia diagnosed by the International Classification of Sleep Disorders-3 and 48 healthy controls from the Seventh People’s Hospital of Wenzhou. The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, Montreal Cognitive Assessment, Hamilton Anxiety Scale and Hamilton Depression Scale were used to assess clinical symptoms. T-tests, chi-square tests, Pearson correlation and network analysis were used to examine the mutual relationship between emotional symptoms and cognitive function in participants with primary insomnia.

Both immediate and delayed memory of the primary insomnia group was significantly worse than that of the healthy controls group, whereas there was no significant difference in long-term delayed recognition between the two groups. The naming and language scores of the primary insomnia group were significantly lower than those of the healthy controls group. The total Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index score was positively correlated with anxiety and depression symptoms.

This study emphasized the correlation between emotional symptoms and cognitive dysfunction in patients with primary insomnia. Simultaneously, their levels of anxiety and depression were both positively correlated with the degree of cognitive dysfunction.