title: Changes in depressive symptoms after continuous positive airway pressure treatment for obstructive sleep apnea.
abstract: It is generally believed that obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) causes depression in some patients, yet it is unknown whether this depression is an actual clinical phenomenon or purely a result of overlapping somatic/physical symptoms shared by both disorders. The present study investigated changes in both somatic and affective/cognitive symptoms of depression associated with the introduction of continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) treatment for OSA. Participants were 39 outpatients (35 males, 4 females) with no current or past mental health problems, diagnosed with OSA in a hospital sleep disorders clinic. The Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) was administered prior to treatment and again 3 months after CPAP. Total BDI scores improved after CPAP, independent of objectively monitored CPAP compliance rates. Both somatic and affective/ cognitive symptoms of depression improved in a similar manner after treatment. Our findings suggest that depressive symptoms experienced by OSA patients are not solely the result of physical OSA symptoms but include a mood component as well. We introduce a hypothetical model to conceptualize the relationship between OSA and depression.
authors.affiliation: Psychology Service, Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina 27705, USA. mkmeans@duke.edu
authors.forename: Melanie K
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Means
authors.forename: Kenneth L
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Lichstein
authors.forename: Jack D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Edinger
authors.forename: Daniel J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Taylor
authors.forename: H Heith
authors.initials: HH
authors.lastname: Durrence
authors.forename: Aatif M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Husain
authors.forename: R Neal
authors.initials: RN
authors.lastname: Aguillard
authors.forename: Rodney A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Radtke
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000339:Affect; D015992:Body Mass Index; D003071:Cognition; D003863:Depression / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology* / Q000523:psychology; D006970:Disorders of Excessive Somnolence / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D017286:Polysomnography; D011175:Positive-Pressure Respiration / Q000379:methods*; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D020181:Sleep Apnea, Obstructive / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy*