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Can sleep apnea lead to brain damage?

Category: General Wellness

According to a new study, people suffering from severe obstructed sleep apnea may have reduced concentrations of gray matter in several areas of the brain. Gray matter refers to the cerebral cortex, or the area of the brain where the majority of information processing takes place.

The research suggests that the memory impairment, cardiovascular problems and respiratory control issues observed in OSA patients may be associated with morphological changes in the brain.

Seung Bong Hong, professor of neurology at the Samsung Medical Center at the Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, and his colleagues found that newly diagnosed patients with severe OSA had significantly lower gray matter concentrations compared to healthy participants of a similar age.

"Poor sleep quality and progressive brain damage induced by OSA could be responsible for poor memory, emotional problems, decreased cognitive functioning and increased cardiovascular disturbances," said Hong.

"The use of continuous positive airway pressure therapy could stop further progression of brain damage in patients with severe OSA," he added.

The researchers were surprised to find that gray matter concentration was lower in participants suffering from OSA, but gray matter volume was left unchanged.