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Obstructive sleep apnoea associated with lower cognition

Presented by
Dr David Colelli, University of Toronto, Canada
Conference
AAN 2021
Over half of cognitively impaired patients have obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA). Severity of OSA correlates with the degree of cognitive impairment and sleep quality. This was found in a study of patients with cognitive impairment primarily attributable to an underlying neurodegenerative and/or vascular aetiology.

Previous research has linked OSA to cognitive impairment [1]. In a new study, prevalence of OSA was assessed in cognitively impaired patients in a tertiary care clinic [2]. A total of 67 participants who contributed complete home sleep apnoea test (HSAT) recordings were included for analysis. Mean age was 73 years, 45% were male, and mean BMI was 25.6. OSA was assessed with HSAT, which is an alternative to polysomnography. Also, patients completed various assessments and questionnaires related to sleep, cognition, and mood. Dr David Colelli (University of Toronto, Canada) presented the results.

Within the study population, 52% was diagnosed with OSA; 31.3% had moderate or severe OSA. Of studied variables (see Table), OSA was only significantly associated with lower Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) score (OR 0.40; P=0.048). Severity of OSA was correlated with the degree of cognitive impairment and actigraphy-derived sleep variables (lower total sleep time, greater sleep-onset latency, lower sleep efficiency, and greater awakenings). Dr Colelli added that future research should examine the prevalence of OSA in larger cohorts and assess predictors in specific neurodegenerative and/or vascular aetiologies for cognitive impairment.

Table: Predictors of obstructive sleep apnoea [2]


  1. Bradley TD, Floras JS. Lancet. 2009;373(9657):82-93.
  2. Colelli DR. Frequency and predictors of obstructive sleep apnea in a cognitively impaired clinic population. S9.003, AAN 2021 Virtual Congress, 17-22 April.

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