Sleep Disorder May Lead To Brain Damage

1 min

Obstructive sleep apnea, a condition that’s often marked by snoring and which causes lower oxygen levels during sleep, may be more concerning than just annoying bed partners. According to recent research, it also appears to damage to the brain’s small blood vessels, leading to the degeneration of brain regions associated with memory.

Researchers at the University of California, Irvine measured the oxygen levels of 37 older people who did not have cognitive impairment; 24 of the volunteers had been diagnosed with obstructive sleep apnea. The participants also took memory tests and underwent brain scans.

The investigators found that those in the study who had lower oxygen levels during rapid eye movement (REM) sleep also had higher levels of white matter hyperintensities in the brain. White matter hyperintensities are bright spots that appear on brain scans that are thought to reflect tissue damage. Researchers also measured the volume of brain areas associated with memory. They found having more white matter hyperintensities was linked to decreased volume as well as reduced thickness in these areas. Taken together, these findings may partially explain how obstructive sleep apnea contributes to cognitive decline associated with aging and Alzheimer’s disease.