Sleep Breathing Disorder and Cognitive Function in Healthy Elders

In an epidemiologic sample of generally healthy 66-year-olds, undiagnosed SBD did not affect cognitive functions much — but contributing factors were not fully analyzed.

To find out whether sleep breathing disorders (SBDs) diminish cognitive function in healthy elders, researchers conducted a mail survey of 66-year-olds without heart disease, dementia, or a previously diagnosed SBD. Of the eligible respondents, 827 (21%) underwent comprehensive cognitive testing and polysomnography. The investigators used multivariate regression to calculate correlations between the number of oxygen-desaturation episodes per hour and cognitive test scores, controlling for education, sex, body-mass index, psychological confounders, and atherosclerosis risk factors. They used one-way analysis of variance to identify differences among patients with mild, moderate, and severe SBD.

Of the participants, 54% had an SBD (apnea-hypop…

Reviewing Author

Quentin Regestein, MD