Specific Areas of Brain Damage Associated with Sleep Apnea

Italian researchers have identified several regions in the brain that suffer damage as a result of obstructive sleep apnea. They also found that these regions responded to treatment with significant structural recovery.

The researchers matched 17 sleep apnea sufferers with 15 age-matched healthy individuals. All subjects underwent a sleep study, took cognitive tests, and underwent magnetic resonance imaging. Then the sleep apnea sufferers began treatment. Three months later, the tests were repeated.

Initially, the sleep apnea sufferers showed impairment in most cognitive areas, as well as their mood. Many reported sleepiness. They also showed focal reductions in brain matter in the enthorhinal cortex, the left posterior parietal cortex, and the right superior frontal gyrus. The Enthorhinal cortex plays an important role in memory, especially biographical memory. The posterior parietal cortex controls voluntary movements. The superior frontal gyrus has been shown to be involved in self-awareness, mood, laughter, spatial cognition, and working memory. Identifying these damaged regions provides important insight into the mechanisms of sleep apnea's dangers. It shows, too, that there are other potential risks that cannot objectively be measured. With sleep apnea, you may be at risk for losing important parts of your identity and self-awareness.

Fortunately, the researchers also found that treatment of sleep apnea could reverse the damage suffered in these specific regions of the brain. Although the researchers used CPAP as the treatment method, it is likely that other adequate treatment methods like oral appliance therapy could lead to similar reverses.

If you are a sleep apnea sufferer, don't put your life and your personality at risk, get treatment today. To learn more about sleep apnea treatment options, please contact a local sleep dentist today.

PERMENANT BRAIN DAMAGE FROM SLEEP APNEA : FROM CHILDHOOD TO ADULT.

A RECENT ARTICLE IN JADA SPELLS OUT HOW PERMENANT CHANGES IN THE BRAIN CAN BE CAUSED BY UNTREATED SLEEP APNEA. CHANGES IN THE GRAY MATTER OF THE BRAIN HAVE BEEN SHOWN TO BE RELATED TO SLEEP APNEA. THE PUBMED ARTICLE IS COPIE BELOW.

J Am Dent Assoc. 2009 May;140(5):536-42.
The potentially harmful medical consequences of untreated sleep-disordered breathing: the evidence supporting brain damage.
Simmons MS, Clark GT.

Division of Diagnostic Sciences, University of Southern California School of Dentistry, Los Angeles, Calif., USA. drmichaelsimmons@aol.com
BACKGROUND: The authors conducted a literature review to evaluate whether current scientific evidence supports the fact that brain damage results from episodic hypoxia (EH) as seen during sleep-disordered breathing (SDB). TYPES OF STUDIES REVIEWED: In their review, the authors included models that re-created circumstances seen in EH during SDB. They reviewed animal and human studies, including those with children and animal pups as subjects. These studies addressed neurocognitive and neurobehavioral effects, physical changes found on a cellular level as seen in brain imaging and the effects of treatment. RESULTS: The evidence suggests that EH as seen during SDB causes damage to the brain with specific areas of gray- and white-matter loss, alteration in autonomic and motor regulation, and damage to higher cognitive functions. While there is evidence of spontaneous reactive mechanisms, it is not clear if they limit ongoing brain damage or contribute to additional damage. Retention of deficits in the brain even after treatment suggests long-term injury. CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS: Evidence shows that EH during SDB may cause permanent brain changes and can start early in the progression of sleep disorders even in childhood. SDB should be identified and treated early to reduce and possibly prevent brain damage and permanently decreased cognitive function. Dentists are in the unique position of being able to screen patients for SDB during periodic examinations while providing routine dental health care. When dentists catch SDB early in the progression and refer patients to and coordinate care with patients' physicians, they can provide better service to their patients and may prolong and improve their patients' quality of life.

PMID: 19411520 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]