Sleep Apnea Damage Reversible?

[Zoltyzolt]

Hey, I noticed over the course of my sleep apnea my wit and my general creative side declined. I did some research and I saw that untreated sleep apnea causes damaged to the Prefrontal Cortex which is involved in creativity. 

I also saw that generally sleep apnea damage is reversible in terms of reducing white matter however I didn't see if this recovery pertains also to the PFC.


I was wondering if anyone else saw their cognitive functions and decline and then if they saw their performance improve once they started treatment?

[sheepless]

I was seriously impaired before pap. cognitively, I couldn't concentrate, maintain a train of thought or puzzle things out. short term memory was terrible.

there's no question these things are significantly better since pap.

just not to the degree I'd like, but that may be because I continue to wake 10-20 times a night &/or it's simply a consequence of aging.

[Crimson Nape]

For me, I guess stupidity is like being born ugly.  Being ugly, I didn't have to worry about losing my looks as I aged.  With stupidity, you can only get so stupid, and having apnea didn't have an appreciable effect. So to answer your question, No, I haven't noticed any difference.

[DaveCar]

Before my diagnosis and cpap, my focus memory and creativity were certainly on the decline but I still managed "spurts" of success between periods of exhaustion. It was a downhill ride though.
After cpap, my focus is much better but my memory remains about the same I think (no improvement). Creativity still comes in spurts though, but Im able to be creative for longer stretches at a time.
It will be interesting to see what changes might happen (to me) now that Im off of the Philips toxics.

On the other hand maybe what I said is all wrong, and Ive just forgotten what I used to be like.

[Big Guy]

Not sure how long I've had Sleep Apnea, (diagnosed Sept. 2018) but I retired from LE on April 1st of 2010. Never had any problems staying awake during any shift I worked. I primarily worked the graveyard shift. Swing shift was my 2nd favorite shift. Screw the day shifts! 

Not being on your toes could have cost me my life, or maybe that of another. Sure, I got tired, but that's a far cry from falling asleep while on duty. I got used to (as much as one can) to Adrenaline Dumps. They can and do happen anytime. 

No cognitive decline from what I could tell. Lots of reports going here & there, and if a report was deficit, it would have been made known to me. Spent my fair share of time, testifying in court. Again, no issues in recall or testifying on the stand. Facts presented by myself stood on their own merit. 

Anyways, I'm well aware that we all handle issues and circumstances differently. It's going on three years now that I've been on CPAP Therpay, and I'm still waiting for that good ship Lolly-Pop to pull into port. 

[NelsonM]

I've read a few scientific articles about this question. There is evidence some types of apnea-induced brain damage are reversed within a year of treatment (with CPAP, in the studies I've read). Less clear if heart disease is reversed by treatment but plenty of evidence that treatment does reduce the chance of heart failure. But all this stuff is fairly marginal, small studies, conflicting results. My research has been haphazard enough I don't have links to share, sorry.

[Shadowpup]

My focus, memory, and thought process is definitely better after one year.  The cardiologist said the heart won’t repair itself, but further heart damage is unlikely considering my diet, exercise routines, and lifestyle.  So it’s one day at a time.  I plan to enjoy this day.

[RayBee]

Big difference in brain-fog. It was quite disconcerting before PAP. Now brain-fog is very rare as related to sleep quality.

As for the other thing. Uhh. I can't remember.... 

Oh yeah. Welcome ApneaBoard Zoltyzolt.