Researchers from the University of Miami have uncovered a potentially significant link between sleep apnea and brain health. The study indicates that individuals with sleep apnea may experience an enlarged hippocampus, an area of the brain crucial for memory and learning. This discovery could have profound implications for the 936 million adults worldwide who suffer from this sleep disorder. The lead author, Alberto R. Ramos, highlights the importance of these findings in understanding early markers of disease risk related to Alzheimer's and overall brain health.
The hippocampus, a vital component of the brain, plays a critical role in memory formation and learning processes. The study suggests that sleep apnea, by causing disruptions in sleep, might contribute to changes in this region. Individuals experiencing more than 15 sleep disruptions per hour endure moderate to severe sleeping difficulties, which could exacerbate these effects.
“Sleep apnea [is] still an under-recognized and undertreated sleep disorder that can affect brain and cardiovascular health,” said Alberto R. Ramos, MD, MS, FAAN, FAASM.
Sleep plays a crucial role in maintaining cognitive health by allowing for repair and restoration of brain function. David Merrill, a researcher with expertise in medicine and neuroscience, emphasizes how sleep affects cognitive health through its quality, quantity, frequency, and regularity.
“The effects of sleep on cognitive health depend on the attributes of an individual’s sleep, including the quality, quantity, frequency, and even the regularity of sleep. With high-quality, restorative sleep, the brain’s function is enhanced and protected as we age. If sleep is chronically disrupted, this can lead to a number of health issues including headaches, fatigue, and memory loss that worsens over time.” – David Merrill, MD, PhD
Moreover, Merrill has studied the glymphatic system, a specialized cleaning system in the brain akin to the lymphatic system in the rest of the body. This system becomes most active during deep sleep stages, draining away metabolic waste products.
“Normally, a good night’s sleep literally allows for repair and restoration of brain function to the levels seen at the beginning of the prior day. We now know through research that the brain has a specialized cleaning system, called the glymphatic system, that is most active during the deepest stages of sleep. Similar in function to the lymphatic system found in the rest of our body, the glymphatic system drains away waste products produced during normal daily metabolism,” – David Merrill, MD, PhD
The study presents evidence that sleep apnea could serve as an early marker for disorders like Alzheimer's disease. Alberto R. Ramos underscores the potential for treating sleep apnea as a strategy to improve brain health and prevent dementias.
“Of importance, if sleep apnea affects the brain health and increases the risk for dementias, then treatment of it can serve as a strategy to improve brain health and prevent these disorders, which are on the rise,” – Alberto R. Ramos, MD, MS, FAAN, FAASM
Further exploration into white matter hyperintensities reveals that these changes might suggest vascular brain disease linked to low oxygen levels seen in sleep apnea. This provides a deeper understanding of how sleep apnea impacts brain health.
“We think that [the increase] in white matter [hyperintensities] tells us that there is vascular brain disease in people with sleep apnea, and this is in part explained by the low oxygen levels that you see in this disease — more so in some cases than others,” – Alberto R. Ramos, MD, MS, FAAN, FAASM
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