https://biermann-medizin.de/zusammenhang...%A4rz+2020
A European team of researchers has identified brain changes that explain for the first time why sleep apnea increases the risk of developing Alzheimer's.
In the study, Dr. Géraldine Rauchs of the University of Caen, France, and her team investigated the effects of sleep apnea on 127 older adults who participated in the Silver Wellé Age Well clinical trial. The volunteers, who were 69 years old on average, completed neuropsychological examinations (tests to assess the functioning of the brain), polysomnographic tests (to assess sleep quality and possible sleep disorders) and brain scans.
Those with sleep-related breathing disorders showed greater amyloid loading, a larger volume of gray matter and a higher metabolism in brain areas that are particularly susceptible to Alzheimer's - which increases their risk of developing the disease in the coming years. No connection was found with cognition, self-reported cognitive and sleep disorders or excessive symptoms of daytime fatigue.
"The results are very significant because, although there has been increasing evidence that sleep-related breathing disorder increases the risk of developing Alzheimer's, the brain mechanisms underlying the connection were unclear," said Rauchs.
"Fortunately, there are effective treatments for sleep-related breathing disorders, but the results of this study again underline the importance of maintaining good quality sleep throughout life to ensure good mental health later in life."
Original
publication : André C et al .: Association of Sleep-Disordered Breathing With Alzheimer Disease Biomarkers in Community-Dwelling Older AdultsA Secondary Analysis of a Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA Neurology, March 23, 2020