In France, about 4% of the population suffers from sleep apnea. Obstructive sleep apnea-hypopnea syndrome is characterized by a reduction or interruption of ventilation during sleep. Precisely, this disorder is manifested by drowsiness during the day and snoring during the night as detailed by the High Authority for Health.
According to a new study, sleep apnea may be a risk factor for dementia. These findings were published online May 31, 2023 in Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. To reach this conclusion, the researchers compared data from 122 people with amyloid plaques in the brain, but without memory problems, to people without amyloid plaques. “In people with amyloid plaques, more severe sleep apneas were associated with lower brain volume in the medial temporal lobe region of the brain, which may suggest brain cell loss. This connection was not found in people who did not have amyloid plaques,” the study details.
These plaques are aggregates formed around neurons, they are present in certain neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease. Indeed, this disease is the consequence of an abnormal accumulation of a protein called beta-amyloid peptide (Aß peptide) on the outside of nerve cells.
The team clarifies that this study does not prove that sleep apnea causes a decrease in brain volume, but establishes an association. “We found that people with amyloid plaques who had more severe sleep apnea were also more likely to have lower volumes in the medial temporal lobe region of the brain, including the hippocampus, which plays a role in memory and Alzheimer’s disease”, explained the author of the study, Géraldine Rauchs, of Inserm in Caen. Before completing: “People who didn’t have amyloid plaques didn’t have this lower brain volume, even though they had severe sleep apnea. “Our results suggest that some people may be more vulnerable to the adverse effects of sleep apnea. People who are in the very early stages of the Alzheimer’s disease continuum have shown a particular vulnerability to sleep apnea.
In the future, further studies should examine whether treating sleep-disordered breathing could positively impact cognition. A way to prevent or delay neurodegeneration? Currently, sleep apnea is relieved – in part – with lifestyle and dietary measures (weight loss, quitting smoking, practicing regular physical activity, reducing alcohol consumption, etc.).
Depending on the patient, certain devices are needed to improve breathing during the night, as detailed by Ameli Santé. Like a device that sends air into the respiratory tract with a slight overpressure during the night. Some patients use mandibular thrusters which push the lower jaw forward and prevent the tongue from folding back and blocking the airway. If other approaches fail, surgical treatment can be offered to patients with anatomical abnormalities in the ENT or maxillofacial sphere.
