Sleep disturbance leads to a huge disease problem

Sleep disturbance leads to a huge disease problem

A new study finds that obstructive sleep apnea is linked to cognitive decline. According to the research published in the journal Frontiers in Sleep, the British “Lung Foundation”, which provided statistics on sleep apnea, explained the nature of the condition.

“Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a sleep-related respiratory condition,” she explained. The condition results in “recurring temporary pauses in breathing due to narrowing or closing of the upper airway during sleep.”

"The main symptoms of obstructive sleep apnea include excessive daytime sleepiness and snoring," the charity added.

The research project included 27 men, ages 35 to 70, with a new diagnosis of mild to severe obstructive sleep apnea - and no disease associated with them.

Neuropsychiatrist Ivana Rosenzweig, of King's College London, said men with obstructive sleep apnea "show impairments in executive functioning, visual-spatial memory and deficits in vigilance". Additional problems could include "constant attention, motor and psychomotor control," she added.

In the new research, which she co-authored, Rosenzweig notes, “Most of these deficits were previously attributable to comorbidities. We have shown, for the first time, that obstructive sleep apnea can cause significant deficits in social cognition.”

Comorbidities refer to other health conditions or illnesses that may or may not be associated with obstructive sleep apnea. Seven other men (matched for age, BMI, and education to the test group), who did not have OSA, were part of the control group.

On cognitive tests, the men with obstructive sleep apnea scored lower than the control group in several categories. Men with OSA scored lower on sustained attention, executive functioning, short-term visual recognition memory, and social and emotional recognition.

Since the participants had no other health conditions, which are considered "rare" for people with obstructive sleep apnea, the cognitive decline may be related to the sleep disorder.

Previously, this mental decline was attributed to other conditions, such as high blood pressure or type 2 diabetes.

The researchers stated: “Our findings suggest that distinct processes driven by obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) may be sufficient for cognitive changes to occur early in midlife, in healthy individuals. One theory, put forward by the research team, is that disturbed sleep interferes with the amount of oxygen that gets to brain cells.

OSA has also been linked to changes in blood flow in the brain, inflammation and interrupted sleep.

"This complex interaction is still not well understood, but it is likely that it leads to large-scale structural and neuroanatomy changes in the brain," Rosenzweig added.

However, there is an association with "cognitive and emotional functional deficits".

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