Preserved Medial Temporal Lobe Flexibility Predicts Memory Generalization Only in the Context of Good Sleep Quality among Older African Americans

The study examined the relationship between medial temporal lobe (MTL) flexibility, sleep quality, and memory generalization ability in 50 older African Americans with a mean age of 69.7 years. The research found that greater MTL flexibility was associated with better memory generalization. Individuals with good sleep quality showed higher MTL flexibility and superior memory generalization performance. Sleep quality significantly moderated the relationship between MTL flexibility and memory generalization. The results suggest that preserved MTL flexibility may improve memory generalization only in people with good sleep quality, while sleep disturbances may disrupt neural resilience in the MTL among older African Americans.