title: Cognitive dysfunction in patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA): partial reversibility after continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP).
abstract: The aims of this study were to assess cognitive function in obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) patients and to evaluate the effect of short- and long-term treatment with continuous positive airway pressure treatment (CPAP). A battery of neuropsychological tests, the Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS), and the Beck Inventory Scale were administered to 23 patients with severe OSA (age: 56.5+/-6.13; AHI: 54.9+/-13.37) and to 23 age- and education-matched controls. The OSA patients were evaluated in a baseline condition and in two follow-up treatment sessions (after 15 days and 4 months of CPAP, respectively). At baseline, OSA patients had a significant impairment, compared to controls, in tests of sustained attention, visuospatial learning, executive function, motor performance, and constructional abilities. The longitudinal evaluation showed that after a 15-days CPAP treatment attentive, visuospatial learning, and motor performances returned to normal levels. A 4-months CPAP treatment did not result in any further improvement in cognitive tests. Performance on tests evaluating executive functions and constructional abilities was not affected by short- and long-term treatment with CPAP. The findings of this study confirm the hypothesis of partial reversibility of cognitive dysfunction in OSA patients after CPAP.
authors.affiliation: Sleep Disorders Center, Università Vita-Salute San Raffaele, Via Stamira d'Ancona 20, 20127 Milano, Italy. ferinistrambi.luigi@hsr.it
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ferini-Strambi
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Baietto
authors.forename: M R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Di Gioia
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Castaldi
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Castronovo
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zucconi
authors.forename: S F
authors.initials: SF
authors.lastname: Cappa
mesh_terms: D001288:Attention; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D011175:Positive-Pressure Respiration; D011597:Psychomotor Performance; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D020181:Sleep Apnea, Obstructive / Q000150:complications / Q000628:therapy*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013997:Time Factors