A study published in the July 1, 2008, issue of the journal Sleep provides visual evidence of the severe structural damage that occurs in numerous regions of the brain in people with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA).
Results show that obstructive sleep apnea patients have extensive alterations in “white matter,” nerve tissue in the brain containing fibers that are insulated with myelin — a white, fatty sheath. These structural changes appear both in brain regions that have functional importance for characteristics such as mood, memory, and cardiovascular regulation; and in fiber pathways interconnecting these regions.
Got memory problems? If you suffer from obstructive sleep apnea, your brain could be to blame. UCLA researchers have discovered that people with sleep apnea show tissue loss in brain centers that help store memory.
Reported in the June 27 edition of the journal Neuroscience Letters, the findings emphasize the importance of early detection of the disorder, which afflicts an estimated 20 million Americans.
A study recently published demonstrates that individuals diagnosed with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) may have hope of regaining cognitive functions once they begin treatment for the apnea.
Study results, published in the December 2006 issue of CHEST, show the majority of trial participants who suffered memory-impairment prior to treatment demonstrated normal memory performance after three months of optimal continuous positive airway pressure CPAP use.
A CPAP is a medical device, which, in the simplest of terms, is an air generator set to deliver a prescribed, constant flow of air, keeping the airway open and preventing apnea.
