REM sleep is associated with the integrity of the cholinergic basal forebrain in aMCI participants

The basal forebrain cholinergic system (BFCS) degenerates in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) before the onset of dementia. Interestingly, rapid‐eye movement (REM) sleep is highly dependent on cholinergic activity. In AD patients, REM sleep duration is reduced but the underlying brain mechanisms are still unclear. Our objective was to investigate the associations between REM‐sleep quantity and BFCS integrity in participants with amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI) compared to healthy controls.