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VA RESEARCH: SLEEP APNEA IS A CONCERN IN
PEOPLE
WITH ALZHEIMER'S -- Treatment to ease sleep apnea
can have
benefits for those struggling with dementia, a
new study shows.
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-------------------------
Sleep Apnea Is a Concern in
People With Alzheimer’s
Sleep apnea, a breathing disorder that affects some 20 million Americans,
may be a problem for people with Alzheimer’s, too. And treatment to ease
the condition can have benefits for those struggling with dementia, a new
study shows.
Sleep apnea occurs when the soft tissues at the back of the mouth and
throat relax excessively during sleep, causing the airways to
 become
blocked and breathing to stop. People with the condition often snore
loudly and can wake up hundreds of times during the night, leading to
daytime grogginess and fuzzy thinking.
The condition may be particularly prevalent in people with Alzheimer’s
disease, with some estimates as high as 70 to 80 percent. And earlier
research has shown shown that elderly patients with dementia –
particularly those with Alzheimer's disease – suffered more severe
symptoms from sleep apnea, including frequent awakenings, than sleep apnea
patients without dementia.
The most effective treatment for the condition is to wear a special mask
over the face and nose during sleep that delivers a steady stream of air.
The treatment, known as CPAP, for continuous positive airway pressure, can
be cumbersome, but it is effective for relieving symptoms.
In the current study, researchers at the University of California, San
Diego, School of Medicine and the Veterans Affairs San Diego Healthcare
System, found that men and women with Alzheimer’s who suffer from sleep
apnea got benefits from using a CPAP device. The treatment appeared to
improve thinking skills in these patients. In addition, they seemed
relatively able to accept using the treatment. The findings appeared in
the November issue of the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.
"Although it is unlikely that obstructive sleep apnea causes dementia, the
lowered oxygen levels and sleep fragmentation associated with the
condition might worsen cognitive function," said Sonia Ancoli-Israel,
Ph.D., professor of psychiatry at the university and the study leader.
"This study, which showed significant improvement in patients'
neurological test scores after treatment with CPAP, suggests that
clinicians who treat patients with Alzheimer's disease
 and
sleep apnea should consider implementing CPAP treatment."
"Any intervention that improves cognition in patients with Alzheimer's
disease is likely to result in greater independence for the patient and
less burden on their caretakers," said co-author Jody Corey-Bloom, M.D.,
Ph.D., professor of neurosciences at U.C. San Diego. She added that
earlier research had shown that CPAP also reduced daytime sleepiness, a
common complaint for Alzheimer's patients.
In the study, participants were randomly assigned to receive either
therapeutic CPAP for six weeks, or a placebo CPAP for three weeks followed
by therapeutic CPAP for an additional three weeks. Both groups received a
complete battery of memory and thinking tests before treatment, at three
and at six weeks.
"The change in scores for individual tests suggested improvements in
verbal learning and memory as well as some aspects of executive function
such as cognitive flexibility and mental processing speed," said Dr.
Ancoli-Israel. Earlier studies have also shown that people with
Alzheimer’s are able to tolerate CPAP.
People with Alzheimer’s aren’t the only ones who can benefit from CPAP
therapy. Earlier studies have shown that CPAP relieves fatigue and
improves memory and thinking for anyone with sleep apnea. And a study
earlier this year showed that untreated, people with sleep apnea showed
long-term damage to brain structures critical for thinking and memory.
"The severity of these sleep disruptions may parallel the decline in
cognitive functioning seen in elderly patients with Alzheimer's disease,"
said Dr. Ancoli-Israel. "While CPAP by no means treats the underlying
cause of Alzheimer's disease, by improving patients' sleep patterns, the
hope is that their overall cognitive functioning can also improve."
By ALZinfo.org, The Alzheimer's Information Site. Reviewed by William J.
Netzer, Ph.D., Fisher Center for Alzheimer's Research Foundation at The
Rockefeller University.
Source: University of California, San Diego
-------------------------
posted by Larry Scott
Founder and Editor
VA Watchdog dot Org
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