Sleep Architecture, Sleep Apnea Affect Global Cognition

TUESDAY, July 25, 2023 (HealthDay News) -- Better sleep consolidation and lack of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) are associated with better global cognition, according to a study published online July 18 in JAMA Network Open to coincide with the annual Alzheimer's Association International Conference, held from July 16 to 20 in Amsterdam.

Matthew P. Pase, Ph.D., from the Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health at Monash University in Melbourne, Australia, and colleagues examined the association of sleep architecture and OSA with cognitive function in the Sleep and Dementia Consortium, which curated data from five population-based cohorts across the United States. The pooled analyses without stroke or dementia included 5,946 participants who were followed for five years.

The researchers found that the median wake after sleep onset time varied from 44 to 101 minutes and prevalence of moderate-to-severe OSA varied from 16.9 to 28.9 percent. Across cohorts, better global cognition was seen in association with higher sleep maintenance efficiency and lower wake after sleep onset (pooled β per 1 percent increase, 0.08; pooled β per 1-minute increase, −0.07). Poorer global cognition was seen in association with mild-to-severe OSA (apnea-hypopnea index [AHI] ≥5) versus AHI <5 (pooled β, −0.06); comparable results were seen for moderate-to-severe OSA versus AHI <5 (pooled β, −0.06). There was no association seen for differences in sleep stages with cognition.

"Future Sleep and Dementia Consortium analyses will build upon these findings to further investigate whether and how poor sleep may be associated with cognitive impairment and dementia," the authors write.

Two authors disclosed ties to the pharmaceutical industry.

Abstract/Full Text

More Information