Experts at Flinders University are developing new methods to manage obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), insomnia, and other sleep disorders to combat associated health risks.
These risks include cognitive decline, cardiovascular issues, diabetes, anxiety, depression, and more.
What did the Researchers Do?
The researchers at Flinders Sleep Health focused on the heightened risk of cognitive function decline caused by undiagnosed OSA, particularly in middle-aged men.
In one of the most recent studies published in Sleep Health, they monitored the sleep patterns and daytime cognitive function of more than 470 men aged between 41 and 87 years.
The researchers aimed to investigate whether specific features of brain electrical activity during non-REM sleep, known as ‘sleep spindles,’ could serve as markers of cognitive function.
The Findings
The study found associations between next-day cognitive function and several sleep spindle metrics during stage 2 and stage 3 of the participants’ sleep cycle.
The presence and severity of OSA was an important factor in this relationship.
According to Dr. Jesse Parker, a sleep researcher at Flinders University, non-REM sleep plays a vital role in learning and memory.
The Implications
While standard clinical tests for OSA can detect and help improve this sleep disorder with treatments like continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) or dental devices, OSA varies between people depending on factors like gender and age.
Given the results from this study, Flinders Health and Medical Research Institute Sleep Health researchers recommend further investigations into sleep spindle phases and OSA.
They aim to improve future treatments and determine whether OSA interventions like CPAP can enhance sleep quality and cognitive function.
Associate Professor Andrew Vakulin, a senior author on the publication and researcher at Flinders Health and Medical Research Institute Sleep Health, emphasizes the need for tailored treatments for individual cases.
This includes situations where conditions like insomnia and sleep apnea co-occur.
The Impact
Sleep apnea, which affects over a billion people globally, can increase the risk of several health conditions if untreated.
These include dementia, Parkinson’s disease, hypertension, cardiovascular disease, anxiety, and depression.
“Poor sleep as a result of OSA may lead to chronic health conditions, including cognitive impairment, poor mental health, and cardiovascular disease,” says Associate Professor Vakulin.
“Our latest studies not only make more links between sleep disorders and poor health outcomes but also emphasize the need for specific treatments for individual cases.”
If you care about wellness, please read studies about supplements that may benefit memory functions in older people, and what you need to know about sleep pills and dementia risk.
For more information about brain health, please see recent studies about how to clear toxic brain waste linked to Alzheimer’s disease, and results showing scientists find new clues to healthy brain aging.
The study was published in Sleep Health.
Copyright © 2023 Knowridge Science Report. All rights reserved.
