Are Memory Loss And Sleep Apnoea Connected?

A study says that sleep apnoea can lead to memory problems.

17:13 16 April 2015

A recent study conducted by US scientists found that people who are suffering from sleep apnoea or have difficulty breathing while asleep are more likely to suffer from memory loss. The study, which reviewed the medical databases involving 2,400 people aged 55, revealed that those who are having problems while asleep reported memory and thinking problems a decade earlier than people who slept well. 

 

Commenting on the paper, Dr Simon Ridley, of Alzheimer's Research UK, said: "This adds to growing evidence that disrupted breathing during sleep could be a risk factor for memory and thinking decline in older age, but it doesn't prove one causes the other.

 

"A good supply of oxygen to the brain is vital to keep it healthy, and it is interesting to see that treatment of sleep apnoea was associated with a trend towards later memory and thinking problems."

 

Dr Doug Brown, at the charity the Alzheimer's Society, added: "Several earlier studies have shown that the quantity and quality of sleep we get can have an impact on our cognitive health.

 

"As sleeping disorders are common among the elderly, it is vital that we see more research into this area."