In a new study, researchers found that sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) is linked to changes in the brain, including amyloid deposition in brain regions typically involved in Alzheimer’s disease.
The research was conducted by a team at Université de Caen in France.
The team used data from 127 older adults participating in the Age-Well randomized clinical trial (2016 to 2018).
The analysis included participants who underwent neuropsychological assessment, magnetic resonance imaging, and positron emission tomography brain imaging.
The team sought to determine whether the presence of SDB was linked to changes in amyloid deposition, gray matter volume, perfusion, and glucose metabolism.
They found that participants with SDB showed greater amyloid burden, gray matter volume, perfusion, and metabolism, with overlap mainly occurring over the posterior cingulate cortex and precuneus.
There were no associations observed between SDB-related brain changes and cognition, self-reported cognitive and sleep difficulties, or excessive daytime sleepiness symptoms.
The team says sleep-disordered breathing-associated changes include amyloid deposition in brain regions typically involved in Alzheimer’s disease.
This might explain why sleep-disordered breathing is linked to an increased risk of developing Alzheimer’s clinical syndrome at a younger age.
The lead author of the study is Claire André, Ph.D. from Université de Caen in France.
The study is published in JAMA Neurology.
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