![]() She stressed that “sleep apnea is a serious public health problem that affects most of our body organs and our brain,” with the number of affected patients predicted to rise in coming years. Ivana Rosenzweig, head of the Sleep and Brain Plasticity Center at King's College London in the United Kingdom, reviewed the new study findings. “That being the case, future studies should assess whether strategies to improve sleep quality and enhance this stage of sleep could help prevent development of progression of white matter abnormalities,” Carvalho added.ĭr. They don't yet prove that one actually causes the other. The findings, they said, only highlight a link between poor sleep quality and higher risk for mental decline and stroke down the road. “Poor sleep from severe sleep apnea or decreased deep sleep may be involved in white matter abnormalities thought to contribute to the risk of cognitive impairment, dementia and stroke,” Carvalho said.īut the study authors also pointed out some key caveats.įor one thing, the association between less deep sleep and more white matter damage “was just evident in patients with severe sleep apnea,” not among those with less advanced disease.Īnd investigators placed a heavy emphasis on “association.” The result: After comparing sleep to scans, the researchers found that patients who got the least deep sleep - and, therefore, had the poorest overall sleep quality - were also the most likely to show telltale signs of white matter damage.įor every 10-point drop in the percentage of deep sleep, the investigators found an increase in white matter damage similar to the effect of aging an additional 2.3 years. ![]() The overnight study allowed researchers to track sleep patterns. It often shows up as tiny lesions that accumulate with age. White matter damage can undermine communication between different parts of the brain. The scans offered insight into the health of nerve fibers that make up the brain's white matter. Their sleep apnea ranged in severity from mild to severe.Įach participant underwent brain scans and an overnight study in a sleep lab. None had any signs of dementia, Alzheimer’s or trouble with thought processing when the study was conducted. The study included 140 participants (average age, 73 years). With that in mind, Carvalho and his team set out to see whether the impact of sleep apnea on deep sleep might somehow be linked to the long-term risk for stroke, dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. Getting enough of it is, therefore, considered a key indicator of good quality shut-eye. Importantly, sleep apnea can limit a person’s ability to get and maintain “deep sleep.”ĭeep sleep, which begins about an hour after falling asleep, is essential to the body’s ability to repair and regenerate tissue, bolster the immune system, and build bone and muscle, according to the Cleveland Clinic. Sleep apnea “has been associated with increased risk of high blood pressure, diabetes, heart attack, stroke, cognitive impairment and dementia,” Carvalho said.Īnd, he noted, it is known to “cause a range of harmful effects in the brain,” as blood pressure and heart rate rise, oxygen levels drop and sleep is disrupted. He is an assistant professor of neurology at the Mayo Clinic Center for Sleep Medicine in Rochester, Minn. stop breathing during sleep, which can affect their sleep quality by causing multiple arousals and dropping oxygen levels,” said lead study author Dr. “Sleep apnea is a medical condition in which patients. The concern stems from a new brain scan investigation that involved 140 sleep apnea patients. THURSDAY, (HealthDay News) - Poor sleep brought on by sleep apnea may ultimately undermine the brain health of older men and women, new research suggests. Editors and writers make all efforts to clarify any financial ties behind the studies on which we report. All of our articles are chosen independent of any financial interests. HeathDay is committed to maintaining the highest possible levels of impartial editorial standards in the content that we present on our website. ![]()
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