Spencer Nielson

Mr. Spencer Nielson

orcid

Research Focus & Metrics

Academic Career Length

6Years (2021-Present)

(Calculated once Scilit publication data is synced: current year − year of first publication + 1)

Representative Publications

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23 September 2023 in Current Psychiatry Reports
Verified
Journal Article
Closed access
PDF file
SNSpencer Nielson
Spencer Nielson
DKDaniel B. Kay
Daniel B. Kay
Joseph M. DzierzewskiJoseph M. Dzierzewski
Joseph M. Dzierzewski

SNSpencer Nielson
Spencer Nielson
JTJordan Taylor
Jordan Taylor
ZSZach Simmons
Zach Simmons
ADAndrea N. Decker
Andrea N. Decker
DKDaniel Kay
Daniel Kay
MCMatthew Cribbet
Matthew Cribbet
Sleep valuation, the worth individuals place on sleep, is an understudied construct in the field of sleep medicine. This study introduced a Sleep Valuation Item Bank and explored how sleep valuation is related to sleep health and daytime functioning within a sample of college students. The participants in this study were 247 (85% white, 83% female) undergraduate students who completed an online survey that included questions from a Sleep Valuation Item Bank and questions about sleep and daytime functioning. Correlation and regression analyses were conducted to determine associations between sleep valuation, aspects of sleep health and daytime functioning. Mediation analyses were conducted to determine whether the sleep health variables explained the associations between sleep valuation and daytime functioning. In correlation analyses, sleep valuation was negatively associated with sleepiness and sleep quality. It was also associated with daytime functioning, including general mental and physical health, depression, and anxiety. In the regression analyses, daytime impairments including poorer physical and mental health, anxiety, and depression were associated with higher sleep valuation. Poorer sleep health, including greater sleepiness and lower sleep quality, explained these associations and were associated with higher sleep valuation. Thus, while daytime impairments, such as anxiety and depression, are related to sleep valuation, this relationship may be due in part to the sleep disturbance that often co-occurs with these impairments.


23 November 2024 in Sleep Medicine Reviews
Verified
Journal Article
Closed access
SNSpencer Nielson
Spencer Nielson
JBJulia T. Boyle
Julia T. Boyle
NDNatalie D. Dautovich
Natalie D. Dautovich
Joseph M. DzierzewskiJoseph M. Dzierzewski
Joseph M. Dzierzewski

26 July 2024 in Heliyon
Verified
Journal Article
Open access
JJJolynn Jones
Jolynn Jones
SNSpencer Nielson
Spencer Nielson
JTJonathan Trout
Jonathan Trout
JTJared J. Tanner
Jared J. Tanner
DBDawn Bowers
Dawn Bowers
DKDaniel Kay
Daniel Kay
Parkinson's disease (PD) is associated with both sleep disturbances and apathy, and within PD, apathy has been associated with REM behavior disorder and excessive daytime sleepiness. Whether other forms of sleep disturbance are similarly associated with apathy in PD remains unclear. This study explored associations between a broad array of sleep disturbances and apathy in 50 individuals with idiopathic PD (PD) and 48 matched controls (MC). Participants were adults aged 53–80 (Mdn = 67), 23 % female, and 96 % white. Sleep disturbances were measured with various questionnaires (ISI, PSQI, PROMIS-SD, ESS, PROMIS-SRI, RBDSQ). Mood was measured with the STAI and BDI-II. Apathy was evaluated using the Apathy Scale (AS). Spearman correlations and regression analyses were performed between measures of sleep disturbance and AS in the total sample and each group. Group correlations were compared using 2-sample Fisher's z test. The AS total score significantly correlated with PROMIS-SRI in the total sample and multiple measures of sleep disturbance in the PD group. The apathy subscales were each significantly correlated with sleep disturbance measures in the total sample, MC, and PD groups. The correlations between several sleep and apathy values were significantly stronger in the PD group than MC. When accounting for anxiety and depression most differences were no longer significant, only the PROMIS-SRI was significantly predictive of the behavioral apathy sub score. Evidence supports an association between sleep disturbances and apathy in individuals with PD. Specifically, insomnia severity, poor sleep quality, and daytime sleepiness were uniquely associated with apathy in this group. We did not find these associations in the matched control group. Anxiety and depression are likely involved in the association between sleep and apathy in PD. Experimental studies that manipulate or improve sleep may further elucidate the mechanisms underlying the association between sleep disturbance and apathy in PD.

10 December 2025 in Sleep Health
Verified
Journal Article
Closed access
Joseph M. DzierzewskiJoseph M. Dzierzewski
Joseph M. Dzierzewski
Natalie  DautovichNatalie Dautovich
Natalie Dautovich
SSSahar M. Sabet
Sahar M. Sabet
PSPablo Soto
Pablo Soto
EDEmily K. Donovan
Emily K. Donovan
BTBrian Turnage
Brian Turnage