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Sleep Apnoea Impairs Brain’s Ability to Keep Attention Focused on Tasks

February 21, 2013 in Research, Sleep Apnoea by admin | No comments

A new research paper published in the Journal of Sleep Research claims that attentional control is partially impaired in obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome.

“In the current study, we investigated whether attentional control is deficient in obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome. Attentional control processes were investigated through conflict adaptation and conflict frequency paradigms. These neuropsychological paradigms were assessed by using the Simon, Flanker and Stroop tasks. We additionally analysed post-error slowing data within these tasks. Error processing is another index of cognitive control that is mediated by frontal lobe functioning.”

The sample consisted of 14 healthy adults and 24 patients with untreated moderate–severe obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome.

“Results indicated that attentional control is partially dysfunctional among patients with obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome. Attentional control processes were deficient when focal attention (Flanker task) processes were involved, but were intact when observed using the Simon and Stroop tasks. A non-significant trend in post-error slowing data suggested that error processing, assessed with the Flanker task, was diminished among patients with obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome. These results support the view that obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome leads to some amount of frontal lobe dysfunction, and that attentional control and error processing might be particularly affected by obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome.”

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Sleep Apnoea can be Fatal for Middle Aged Executives

February 18, 2013 in Research, Sleep Apnoea by admin | No comments

White-collared, globe-trotting executives over the age of 45 need to watch out for sleep apnoea, according to a recent study by the Madras ENT Research Foundation.

“Our estimates show that 24 per cent of men and 9 per cent of women above 45 years in the country suffer from this problem,” says Mohan Kameswaran, Managing Director of the foundation.

Those with obesity, diabetes and a sedentary lifestyle are more prone to sleep apnoea. Smoking, excessive consumption of alcohol and heavy snoring are other risk factors associated with this disorder. It is common among middle-aged working professionals.

“With intense travelling, they have very little time for physical activity and exercise. They do not maintain a good diet. When you are young, your muscle tone is good. But it slows down after 45,” cautions Kameswaran.

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Women with Obstructive Sleep Apnea and Cardiac Symptoms Have a 31% Incidence of Cardiac Dysfunction

February 15, 2013 in Research, Sleep Apnoea by admin | No comments

In a study presented on today at the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine’s annual meeting, The Pregnancy Meeting, in San Francisco, researchers reported findings that women with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and cardiac symptoms have a 31 percent incidence of cardiac dysfunction. The use of echocardiograms should be considered in the clinical management of these women.

OSA is characterized by abnormal pauses in breathing or instances of abnormally low breathing, during sleep. These pauses can last from at least ten seconds to minutes, and may occur five to 30 times or more an hour; this can lead to cardiovascular disease. The objective of the trial was to measure the incidence of OSA among pregnant and reproductive women.

The cohort was made up of 1,265 women between the ages of 15-45 who met the Apnea-Hypopnea Index (AHI) criteria for OSA based on nocturnal Polysomnogram testing. Data was gathered from 2005-2012 at a tertiary care center. Sleep lab data and individual transthoracic echocardiogram reports were reviewed.

“As obesity rates increase among reproductive age women, the frequency of obstructive sleep apnea and cardiovascular disease in pregnancy is anticipated to rise. The increased hemodynamic demands of pregnancy can cause women with underlying cardiac disease to decompensate,” said Laura K.P. Vricella, MD, fellow, Maternal-Fetal Medicine at MetroHealth Medical Center.

“We found a 31 percent incidence of abnormal echocardiograms among symptomatic women with obstructive sleep apnea. Further investigation is needed to understand the relationship between obstructive sleep apnea and cardiovascular disease and their impact on pregnant women.”

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Snoring Association Seeks Participants For Nationwide Sleep Apnoea Survey

January 19, 2013 in Research, Sleep Apnoea by admin | 1 comment

 

The British Snoring and Sleep Apnoea Association is launching a UK-wide survey into public awareness of the condition, with the aim of testing public knowledge about signs, symptoms and health risks associated with sleep apnoea.

To make it the most comprehensive survey yet, the association is looking for adult participants from all walks of life, saying participation will be valuable whether people have the condition or think they may have it, know somebody who has it, or even know nothing at all about it.

Marianne Davey, Msc, director of the British Snoring and Sleep Apnoea Association, said around half the UK population snores, or is directly affected by a snorer:

“Sleep apnoea is an everyday condition that no-one has ever heard of. Quite a few of us suffer it and many of us come across it in friends and family members, yet so few of us know what it is or even what it’s called. So we’re now launching a UK-wide public survey into public awareness of sleep apnoea, what it is and how to deal with it, which will help us tackle the problem. We welcome a wide range of participants, from those who know they suffer from sleep apnoea to those who’ve never even come across it.”

The survey will run until the end of January and the results will be published during National Stop Snoring Week, which will run from April 22 to 27.

The survey can be found on the front page of the association’s web site at: www.britishsnoring.co.uk

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New Study Shows CPAP Therapy During Preganancy May Increase Fetal Well Being

January 7, 2013 in Research, Sleep Apnoea by admin | 1 comment

 

A new study suggests that treatment of mild sleep-disordered breathing with continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy in pregnant women with preeclampsia improves fetal activity levels, a marker of fetal well-being.

Results show that the average number of fetal movements increased from 319 during a night without CPAP treatment to 592 during the subsequent night with CPAP therapy. During the course of the night without CPAP treatment, the number of fetal movements decreased steadily by 7.4 movements per hour. In contrast, the number of fetal movements increased by 12.6 per hour during the night with CPAP therapy.

“What would otherwise have been considered clinically unimportant or minor ‘snoring’ likely has major effects on the blood supply to the fetus, and that fetus in turn protects itself by reducing movements,” said Colin Sullivan, PhD, the study’s principal investigator. “This can be treated with readily available positive airway pressure therapy and suggests that measurement of fetal activity during a mother’s sleep may be an important and practical method of assessing fetal well-being.”

The three-part study, appearing in the January issue of the journal SLEEP, began with the validation of a fetal activity monitor against ultrasound in 20 normal, third-trimester pregnant women. The next phase of the study measured fetal movement overnight in 20 women with moderate to severe preeclampsia and 20 matched control subjects. Results show that the number of fetal movements during maternal sleep was significantly lower in the preeclampsia group (289) than the control group (689).

In the final phase of the study, fetal movement was measured on consecutive nights in 10 women with moderate to severe preeclampsia, the first night without treatment and the second night with nasal CPAP therapy. The women had mild sleep-disordered breathing with an apnea/hypopnea index of 7.0 breathing pauses per hour of sleep. A minimal mean CPAP pressure of 7 cm H2O was needed to eliminate upper airway obstruction and airflow limitation.

“Maternal SDB represents a unique opportunity to study the effect of in utero exposures on postnatal development and future risk. This has major implications for public health,” Louise M. O’Brien, PhD, MS, associate professor at the University of Michigan, wrote in a commentary on the study. “It raises the possibility that a simple, noninvasive therapy for SDB may improve fetal well-being.”

According to the authors, preeclampsia affects about five percent of pregnancies and is dangerous for the mother as well as a risk factor for fetal growth restriction. It involves the onset of high blood pressure and protein in the urine after the 20th week of pregnancy.

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New Study Finds 10% of 6-8 year Olds May Have Sleep Apnoea

December 28, 2012 in Research, Sleep Apnoea by admin | No comments

Sleep-disordered breathing — which includes snoring and sleep apnea — isn’t just an adult condition: A new study from Finland shows that as many as one in 10 six-to-eight-year-olds may also have it.

The study, which was conducted by researchers from the University of Eastern Finland, included 512 kids from Finland between ages six and eight. The researchers examined their sleep disturbance status, as well as how their top and bottom rows of teeth fit together and their face shape (craniofacial morphology). Researchers found that being overweight and obese wasn’t linked with sleep-disordered breathing in kids, as it may be with older adults. Rather, craniofacial or dental issues seemed to be at play, according to the European Journal of Pediatrics study.

“If a child has symptoms of sleep-disordered breathing, his or her craniofacial status and dental occlusion need to be examined,” study researcher Tiina Ikävalko, an orthodontic specialist and a clinical lecturer at the university, said in a statement. “On the other hand, children with tonsillar hypertrophy, crossbite and convex facial profile should be examined to assess the quality of their sleep.”

The prevalence of sleep-disordered breathing in kids found in this study is not too different from that previously reported by the American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, which said that snoring is commonplace in about 10 percent of all kids, and obstructive sleep apnea is prevalent in about 2 to 4 percent of kids.

Potential health risks from sleep-disordered breathing in kids include attention problems, bedwetting, increase in insulin resistance, increase in blood pressure, and even a decrease in growth hormone, the American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery reported. Since enlarged adenoids and tonsils are a common cause for sleep-disordered breathing in kids, getting these removed could help to treat the condition for some.

See article on Huff Post website and 10 health risks associated with sleep apnoea

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Sleep Apnoea Affects Women’s Brains More Than Men’s

December 11, 2012 in Research, Sleep Apnoea by admin | 1 comment

The latest edition of Sleep journal contains research which shows that sleep apnea affects women and men differently because of sex-specific changes in the brain. This is the finding of researchers at the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA)’s School of Nursing, School of Medicine, and Brain Research Institute.

The 80 subjects in the study included men and women with newly diagnosed, untreated obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and healthy controls. In all the groups, brain fiber integrity was assessed with fractional anisotropy (FA), a diffusion tensor imaging-derived measure. Sleep quality, daytime sleepiness, depression, and anxiety were assessed with questionnaires. The researchers identified regions of differing injury in male vs female OSA patients by assessing brain regions with significant interaction effects of OSA and sex on FA.

The data showed areas of sex-specific, OSA-related FA reductions in women relative to men, including in the bilateral cingulum bundle adjacent to the mid hippocampus, right stria terminalis near the amygdala, prefrontal and posterior-parietal white matter, corpus callosum, and left superior cerebellar peduncle.

Women with OSA reported higher levels of daytime sleepiness, anxiety, and depression as well as reduced sleep quality.

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War Veterans Four Times More Likely to Suffer From Sleep Apnoea

November 11, 2012 in Research, Sleep Apnoea by admin | No comments

David Volpi, otolaryngology surgeon, writes in the Huffington Post that researchers are finding that US veterans are 5 times more likely to be diagnosed with sleep apnoea than the general population.

“According to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), one out of every five war veterans has been diagnosed with OSA — compared with only five out of 100 civilians in the general population. And between 2008 and 2010, the number of veterans who received medical benefits related to sleep apnea grew by 61 percent, from 39,145 cases in 2008 to 63,118 cases in 2010.

“These numbers beg the question: Why do war veterans suffer from sleep apnea more than non-war veterans and civilians? Some VA doctors believe that it is due to the high number of repeat deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan — soldiers are being exposed to higher levels of dust, smoke, stress and violence.”

But what is at the core of this connection between war, OSA and other related conditions, such as daytime sleepiness, memory loss, a decrease in work productivity, obesity, heart disease, diabetes, and hypertension? Researchers at the Wayne State University (WSU) School of Medicine are beginning to find out.

The research shows that:

“Those who left Iraq after the war began and suffered from mental disorders such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression and self-rated their physical health as worse than their actual health were 43 times more likely than pre-Gulf War immigrants to report OSA and later develop major chronic health issues, such as cardiovascular disease.”

This research was published in Psychosomatic Medicine in October 2012.

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Extra Hour in Bed Provides Little Relief for UK Women

November 7, 2012 in Research, Sleep Apnoea by admin | No comments

As the clocks turned back and British Summer Time (BST) came to an end, millions across the UK enjoyed the benefit of an extra hour in bed. But for many women, this extra hour provided little relief, with a growing number now being diagnosed with the sleep disorder OSA (Obstructive Sleep Apnoea).

“A good night’s sleep is essential for our health and wellbeing. However, increasing rates of obstructive sleep apnoea amongst women are posing a significant threat to their quality of sleep, and potentially putting them at risk of serious health issues, including heart disease, stroke, depression and diabetes,” commented Judy Harris of the British Lung Foundation, which is campaigning for better awareness, diagnosis and treatment of people affected by OSA.

Traditionally viewed as a man’s disease, a recent study has suggested that among women aged 20-44, up to one quarter now have sleep apnoea, a figure which rises to more than half in women aged between 45 and 54, and 75 per cent in women aged between 55 and 70.

Whilst women have often been viewed as the ‘gatekeepers’ to their families’ health, and are often the first to recognise the signs and symptoms of sleep disorders in their husbands or bed-partners, increasingly they’re experiencing this debilitating disease for themselves, with symptoms including loud snoring, day time tiredness, poor concentration, headaches, depression and anxiety.”

With mounting evidence of sleep apnoea’s links to serious medical conditions, including cardiovascular disease and dementia, it’s vital that we move past the stereotypes that label OSA a ‘man’s disease’ and seek to raise awareness of this potentially deadly disease amongst women in the UK.

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Electronic Nose Can Detect Sleep Apnoea

October 25, 2012 in Research, Sleep Apnoea by admin | No comments

An electronic nose used to detect the presence of molecules in the breath of a patient could be used to diagnose obstructive sleep apnoea. A new study in the European Respiratory Journal, could make the diagnosis of the condition quick and inexpensive compared to current methods.

The gold standard used to identify sleep apnea is an overnight sleep test. This is technically demanding, time-consuming and cost-intensive. But electronic nose devices have been shown to distinguish between a number of diseases; they do this by analyzing the pattern of volatile organic compounds in breath samples. This is the first study that has assessed whether the electronic nose could be used to confirm the presence of sleep apnea.

Researchers analyzed the breath of 40 sleep apnea patients and 20 healthy controls. Sleep apnea is associated with inflammation in the upper airways, which the researchers suggested could be detected by analysis of the exhaled breath of the patients. The study also aimed to assess whether the electronic nose could detect the effects of the standard treatment for sleep apnea i.e. continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP).

The researchers performed questionnaires and sleep examinations to confirm sleep apnea in 40 patients. They also collected throat washings from patients to measure any improvement in their condition following treatment with CPAP. The researchers then used a statistical analysis model to calculate the accuracy of the electronic nose.

The results found that the electronic nose could effectively diagnose sleep apnea. The statistical analysis showed that sleep apnea was detected with a sensitivity of 93%.

Lead author, Dr Timm Greulich, from the Marburg Hospital in Germany, said, “This is the first time an electronic nose has been tested in the setting of sleep apnoea diagnosis. The electronic nose could be useful in two ways. First, it can rule out the disease in a low prevalence population. Secondly, in a population with a high risk of sleep apnoea, the device could be used to help decide who would need to undergo an overnight sleep examination. Following these results, we foresee that the use of an electronic nose could reduce costs by more appropriately selecting patients who require the sleep examination.”

European Respiratory Journal Associate Editor, Professor Ramon Farre, commented, “This is an interesting study, adding to a growing body of evidence demonstrating that electronic noses are a future potential tool for the detection of respiratory diseases. Although the results are encouraging, it is important to acknowledge the limitations in this kind of statistical analysis and it is not yet definite proof that this is an accurate diagnostic tool. It is, however, the first study to consider the application of an electronic nose for sleep apnoea and we look forward to seeing future research expanding on this important initial research.”

Source: Science Codex

 

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