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Updated: Jun 7, 2026

Association Between Sleep Quality and Cognitive Symptoms in Patients with Major Depressive Disorder
Published on: April 26, 2024
Sleep-disordered breathing: in depression and schizophrenia.
Fredric Jaffe1, Dimitri Markov, Karl Doghramji
1Dr. Jaffe is with the Department of Medicine, Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care Allergy, and Sleep, Thomas Jefferson University; and Drs. Markov and Doghramji are with the Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Thomas Jefferson University; All are with the Sleep Disorders Center at Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) shares symptoms with psychiatric conditions, potentially worsening them. Recognizing and treating OSAS can improve psychiatric symptoms.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Psychiatry
- Sleep Medicine
Background:
- Sleep disorders, particularly obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS), are increasingly common.
- OSAS symptoms like excessive sleepiness, insomnia, cognitive issues, and depression overlap with psychiatric conditions.
- OSAS can exacerbate existing psychiatric disorders or contribute significantly to their symptomology.
Purpose of the Study:
- To highlight the significant overlap between obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) and psychiatric conditions.
- To emphasize the importance of recognizing OSAS symptoms in psychiatric patients.
- To underscore the potential benefits of diagnosing and treating OSAS for psychiatric symptom amelioration.
Main Methods:
- Review of existing literature on the relationship between sleep disorders and psychiatric conditions.
- Analysis of symptom overlap between OSAS and major depressive disorder, and schizophrenia.
- Identification of key signs and symptoms of OSAS for clinical recognition.
Main Results:
- Obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) frequently coexists with major depressive disorder and schizophrenia.
- Symptoms of excessive daytime sleepiness, snoring, and witnessed apneas are key indicators of OSAS.
- OSAS can worsen depressive symptoms and contribute to the symptom complex in schizophrenia, sometimes linked to neuroleptic treatment side effects.
Conclusions:
- Recognizing the signs of sleep apnea, such as excessive daytime sleepiness and snoring, is crucial in psychiatric patients.
- Prompt referral to a sleep specialist for diagnosis of conditions like OSAS is recommended.
- Effective treatment of OSAS can lead to significant improvement in psychiatric symptoms.
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