How proper use of a CPAP is linked to improved thinking in people with sleep apnea
A new study by Sunnybrook researchers has found that using continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy appropriately is linked with improved thinking and memory in patients with obstructive sleep apnea who have cognitive impairment.
The findings have been published online in Sleep Medicine.
Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) happens when a patient stops breathing many times during sleep. This can lead to issues with thinking, memory, and other health concerns, such as an increased risk of stroke, heart attack, and dementia.
Using a CPAP machine is a common treatment for OSA. The CPAP machine delivers consistent air pressure which helps reduce the number of times someone stops breathing during sleep. It includes a hose which is connected to a mask that helps deliver the air pressure.
“The goal of our study was to characterize the impact of CPAP use on thinking and memory in patients with OSA,” explains Dr. Mark Boulos, the study’s principal investigator and neurologist at Sunnybrook. “Our study determined that when individuals used their CPAP machines for more than four hours each night, there was a link to improved cognitive test scores within the first year of CPAP use.”
The team analysed retrospective data from clinical and research visits of 171 patients diagnosed with OSA and cognitive impairment and compared information from before and after they started using CPAP. Patients who had less prominent cognitive impairment were more likely to benefit compared to those with more severe cognitive impairment.
Researchers noted the benefits could be seen when patients used the CPAP for more than four hours per night.
“We found that CPAP-adherent patients had higher cognitive testing scores compared with patients who were not using their CPAP regularly,” says Yakdehikandage Costa, the study’s first author and recent graduate from the University of Toronto’s Master’s degree program at the Institute of Medical Science. “Our findings support the need for future, larger studies using more comprehensive cognitive test batteries.”
“In general, CPAP devices can benefit patients with sleep apnea, and may help to improve the quality of their sleep at night, and reduce daytime sleepiness,” says Dr. Boulos. “Patients with concerns about obstructive sleep apnea and/or related thinking and memory problems are encouraged to seek guidance from their family physician.”
