title: Electrophysiological assessment of the effects of obstructive sleep apnea on cognition.
abstract: We used electrophysiological measures to investigate the effects of obstructive sleep apnea on attention, learning, and memory. Thirty subjects (OSA group, n = 15, control group n = 15) participated in n-back tests, accompanied by P300 recordings, to investigate working memory and attention. The mirror-drawing test was used to study procedural memory, and the trail-making test (TMT) was used to evaluate divided attention and executive function. No significant group difference in reaction time was found in the 0-back and 1-back tests. In the 2-back test, reaction times of patients were longer than those of the control group. No P300 wave was obtained in the OSA group in any (0-, 1-, or 2-back) n-back test. In contrast, in the control group, significant P300 waves were recorded except for the 2-back test. The mirror-drawing scores were unaffected by sleep apnea. There was no difference between groups in the TMT-A test on any of the trials. Although no group difference was found in the first or second trials of the TMT-B test, OSA patients were less successful in learning on the third trial. According to our study results, OSA affects attention and executive function adversely however, we could not detect a significant effect on working or procedural memory.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, Hacettepe University Medical School, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Ethem
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Gelir
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, Hacettepe University Medical School, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Cenk
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Başaran
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, Hacettepe University Medical School, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Sibel
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bayrak
authors.affiliation: Department of Biophysics, Hacettepe University Medical School, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Süha
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yağcıoğlu
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, Hacettepe University Medical School, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Murat Timur
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Budak
authors.affiliation: Sleep Laboratory, Department of Pulmonary Medicine, SGK Ankara Education Hospital, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Hikmet
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Fırat
authors.affiliation: Department of Biophysics, Koç University Medical School, İstanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Pekcan
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Ungan
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001288:Attention / Q000502:physiology; D003071:Cognition / Q000502:physiology*; D005071:Evoked Potentials / Q000502:physiology*; D056344:Executive Function / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D007858:Learning / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D008570:Memory, Short-Term / Q000502:physiology; D008875:Middle Aged; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D017286:Polysomnography; D011930:Reaction Time / Q000502:physiology; D020181:Sleep Apnea, Obstructive / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000523:psychology; D014145:Trail Making Test