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"Sleep apnea can contribute to dementia by depriving the brain of oxygen at night, suggests a study," headlines The Independent.
Obstructive sleep apnea is a condition in which the airways are partially or completely blocked during sleep, which can steadily interrupt breathing and sleep. Symptoms include excessive snoring and daytime fatigue.
In this latest study, Australian researchers studied 83 adults who worried about their memory by testing them for signs that made them "at risk" for dementia, such as thinning of the brain and the brain. poor scores on memory tests. They then observed their sleep and measured the oxygen levels in the blood to look for signs of sleep apnea.
They found that people who did not breathe properly at night, as indicated by low levels of oxygen in the blood, were more likely to have thinning in certain sections of the brain and thickening in others.
However, it is difficult to draw definitive conclusions because it was a very small study with many limitations.
For example, researchers took only occasional measurements of sleep and memory, and all participants had memory problems, so there was no control group.
Moreover, no one had a confirmed diagnosis of sleep apnea, and we do not know if brain changes were definitely caused by sleep apnea or what they mean. Participants also had pre-existing health issues that could have been related to their memory problems, such as high blood pressure.
Without a longer follow-up of the participants, it is impossible to say whether the cause of the memory problems was related to sleep or the overall health and genes of the participants.
Nevertheless, while the study does not tell us much about any connection with dementia, sleep apnea remains a serious condition – untreated, it can significantly affect the quality of life. This can increase your risk of suffering long-term illness and, if you drive, increase the risk of being involved in a car accident.
To learn more about the diagnosis and treatment of sleep apnea,
The study was conducted by researchers from the University of Sydney and published in the European Respiratory Newspaper. No external reports have been reported
. The Independent's report was generally accurate, although he failed to point out that the study could not show whether brain changes were due to sleep apnea.
What kind of research was it?
This was a cross-sectional study of 83 adults of middle to older age considered at risk for dementia.
Cross-sectional studies may be useful for understanding the incidence or prevalence of an illness or disease in the population, but, because they study people at one time given, they can not tell us anything about causes and effects.
They can only demonstrate that one factor – in this case, sleep apnea or low oxygen levels in the blood – is responsible for causing another, like brain changes that may indicate dementia. Nor can they rule out potential confounding factors.
A more useful study model would be a cohort study, where people are followed over many years. But this can be very expensive to achieve.
What did the research involve?
Researchers recruited 83 adults, aged 51 to 83, from a clinic that studies aging.
All participants had concerns about their thinking and memory and, for the purpose of the study, were labeled as having a risk of dementia. The term "at risk" referred to people who sought help for brain-related (cognitive) decline.
Persons were excluded if they:
- had a diagnosis of dementia
- scored low on a commonly used cognitive test (the Mini-Mental State Examination)
- had a neurological disease
- had a psychosis
- had already had a stroke or a head injury
- were currently being treated for obstructive sleep apnea
A medical specialist then physically examined the participants and recorded their medical history and use current medicines. Neurological and psychological antecedents have been evaluated using well-validated methods, such as the Geriatric Depression Scale.
Participants then underwent an MRI within 4 weeks of their examination and assessment to measure the thickness of the various regions of the cerebral cortex. Thinning of the cortex is often seen in different types of dementia.
To determine whether participants had sleep apnea, their sleep was observed in a sleep clinic. This involved a specialized sleep physician who monitored their sleep, assessed sleep patterns, and collected data on the amount of oxygen breathed by each participant during sleep, the total sleep time, and the frequency with which each participant went to sleep. wake.
The researchers wanted to see if there was a correlation between oxygen deprivation caused by obstructive sleep apnea and the signs of a risk of dementia, measured by a thickness cortical reduced.
What were the basic results?
The researchers found that participants who had low levels of oxygen saturation during sleep had a thinning of the cerebral cortex in the area of hearing, speech, and memory.
They were also more likely to have signs of thickening in a region of the brain called the parietal lobe. Previous research has found similar thickening in people with Alzheimer's disease.
There were also some differences in thickness between the structures in the right and left lobes of the brain, although these differences were small.
There was no direct association between low oxygen scores and poorer scores on memory tests.
How did the researchers interpret the results?
The researchers said this study revealed important insights into how sleep disorders such as obstructive sleep apnea could affect the brain in the elderly.
They said that changes in the brain's gray matter reveal how obstructive sleep apnea could contribute to neurological disorders in the elderly.
Conclusion
This research does not show that sleep apnea is a risk factor for dementia. The design of the study had too many limitations for us to draw definitive conclusions. For example:
- participants all had memory or mood problems, so there was no control group
- Brain scans were only performed once, without prior analysis for compare, so we do not know if there had been only 83 people in this study – not really enough to exclude the possibility that the results might have been due to chance. In a lab, we do not really know the person's sleep patterns, and none of the participants had ever been diagnosed with obstructive sleep apnea. This implies that all suspected cases of sleep apnea were unlikely to have been severe.
Memory problems were also associated with hypertension, and 43% of study participants were diagnosed with this. Finally, the study did not assess people long enough to determine if memory problems were long-term or temporary.
If you are worried about memory loss, go to your GP so you can be referred for a memory test. Similarly, if you have been told that you are a snorer and that you feel very tired during the day, consult your general practitioner. They may decide that you need to be referred to a sleep specialist for further testing.
Sleep apnea can be treated with a combination of lifestyle changes, such as weight loss and the use of a breathing apparatus during sleep. [ad_2]
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