Reduced brain gray matter concentration in patients with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate differences in brain gray matter concentrations or volumes in patients with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSA) and healthy volunteers.


METHODS
Optimized voxel-based morphometry, an automated processing technique for MRI, was used to characterize structural differences in gray matter in newly diagnosed male patients.


METHODS
University hospital.


METHODS
The study consisted of 36 male OSA and 31 non-apneic male healthy volunteers matched for age (mean age, 44.8 years).


METHODS
Using the t-test, gray matter differences were identified. The statistical significance level was set to a false discovery rate P < 0.05 with an extent threshold of k(E) > 200 voxels.


RESULTS
The mean apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) of patients was 52.5/h. On visual inspection of MRI, no structural abnormalities were observed. Compared to healthy volunteers, the gray matter concentrations of OSA patients were significantly decreased in the left gyrus rectus, bilateral superior frontal gyri, left precentral gyrus, bilateral frontomarginal gyri, bilateral anterior cingulate gyri, right insular gyrus, bilateral caudate nuclei, bilateral thalami, bilateral amygdalo-hippocampi, bilateral inferior temporal gyri, and bilateral quadrangular and biventer lobules in the cerebellum (false discovery rate P < 0.05). Gray matter volume was not different between OSA patients and healthy volunteers.


CONCLUSIONS
The brain gray matter deficits may suggest that memory impairment, affective and cardiovascular disturbances, executive dysfunctions, and dysregulation of autonomic and respiratory control frequently found in OSA patients might be related to morphological differences in the brain gray matter areas.
Joo
Eun Yeon
EY
Sleep Center, Department of Neurology, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
Tae
Woo Suk
WS
Lee
Min Joo
MJ
Kang
Jung Woo
JW
Park
Hwan Seok
HS
Lee
Jun Young
JY
Suh
Minah
M
Hong
Seung Bong
SB
D000328:Adult; D001284:Atrophy; D001921:Brain / Q000473:pathology*; D001931:Brain Mapping; D004292:Dominance, Cerebral / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009929:Organ Size / Q000502:physiology; D017286:Polysomnography; D012016:Reference Values; D020181:Sleep Apnea, Obstructive / Q000473:pathology*