Nocturnal hypoxemia and executive functions in OSA

描述（由申请人提供）：阻塞性睡眠呼吸暂停（OSA）是一种常见问题，许多研究都记录了与OSA相关的认知缺陷。虽然有证据表明OSA的认知功能障碍可能与低氧血症引起的额叶和/或皮质下区域损伤有关，但这种联系尚未直接建立。相反，从这一发现中可以推断，这些缺陷在使用持续气道正压通气（CPAP）治疗后不会改善。所提出的研究将试图通过比较在呼吸暂停低通气相关低氧血症的严重程度上不同但在疾病严重程度的其他重要指标上匹配的OSA受试者（即，AHI，唤醒指数）对执行功能的一些神经心理测量。建立间歇性夜间低氧血症和OSA的永久性认知缺陷之间的直接联系将强调早期发现和治疗的重要性。此外，进一步阐明与OSA相关的特定执行功能缺陷将有助于开发认知康复策略，以帮助这些患者更好地补偿其认知困难。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a common problem, and cognitive deficits associated with OSA have been documented in many studies. While evidence suggests that cognitive dysfunction in OSA may be related to hypoxemia-induced damage to the frontal lobes and/or sub cortical areas, such a connection has not been directly established. Rather, it has been inferred from the finding that these deficits do not improve following treatment with continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP). The proposed study will attempt to directly connect both general and specific executive function deficits in OSA to the effects of intermittent nocturnal hypoxemia by comparing OSA subjects who differ in the severity of apnea-hypopnea associated hypoxemia, but who have been matched on other important indicators of disease severity (i.e., AHI, arousal index) on a number of neuropsychological measures of executive function. Establishing a direct connection between intermittent nocturnal hypoxemia and permanent cognitive deficits in OSA will emphasize the importance of early detection and treatment. Additionally, further clarifying the specific executive function deficits associated with OSA will allow for the development of cognitive rehabilitation strategies to assist these patients in better compensating for their cognitive difficulties.