title: Assessing the influence of obesity on longitudinal executive functioning performance in patients with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate longitudinal performance on an executive functioning task among individuals with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) and the impact of obesity on performance.
  
  
  METHODS
  Participants completed the Trail Making Test Part B (TMT-B), which is an executive functioning task that measured cognitive flexibility, at baseline, 3-, 6-, and 12-month follow-ups. Hierarchical linear modeling (HLM) analyses were used to assess participants' initial performance on the task, as well the trajectories of growth on the task across time points. Additionally, body mass index (BMI) was included in the estimations of fixed and random effects as a predictor of performance.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were no significant differences between obese and non-obese individuals on the cognitive flexibility task at baseline. However, obese and non-obese individuals differed significantly in their linear and quadratic rates of growth across time points.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study suggests that obese and non-obese individuals may differentially respond to Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) treatment (as related to cognitive flexibility). Future research should examine the impact of weight loss on the neuropsychological sequelae of obese individuals with OSAS.
authors.affiliation: University of Denver Morgridge College of Education Department of Research Methods and Statistics, United States. Electronic address: chelsea.a.hilsendager@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Chelsea A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Hilsendager
authors.affiliation: University of Denver Morgridge College of Education Department of Research Methods and Statistics, United States. Electronic address: Duan.Zhang@du.edu.
authors.forename: Duan
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: University of Denver Morgridge College of Education Department of Research Methods and Statistics, United States. Electronic address: cmcrae@du.edu.
authors.forename: Cynthia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: McRae
authors.affiliation: National Jewish Health, United States. Electronic address: AloiaM@NJHealth.org.
authors.forename: Mark
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Aloia
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015992:Body Mass Index; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003071:Cognition; D045422:Continuous Positive Airway Pressure; D056344:Executive Function; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D016014:Linear Models; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D009765:Obesity / Q000150:complications / Q000523:psychology*; D010349:Patient Compliance; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; D020181:Sleep Apnea, Obstructive / Q000150:complications / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013647:Task Performance and Analysis
keywords: Executive functioning; Hierarchical linear modeling; Neuropsychological deficits; Obesity; Obstructive sleep apnea syndrome