Decision making is affected in obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Psychology
• Sleep Medicine

Background:

• Obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) is a condition characterized by repeated episodes of airway obstruction during sleep.
• Cognitive impairments, including decision-making deficits, have been anecdotally reported in OSA patients.
• The underlying neural mechanisms linking OSA to cognitive dysfunction require further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate decision-making abilities in newly diagnosed obstructive sleep apnoea patients compared to healthy controls.
• To explore the relationship between decision-making performance and hypoxaemia in OSA.
• To investigate potential effects of OSA-related hypoxaemia on brain regions involved in decision making.

Main Methods:

• Utilized the Iowa Gambling Task (IGT) to assess decision-making, specifically the ability to learn long-term gains over immediate rewards.
• Administered a standard neuropsychological battery to evaluate broader cognitive functions.
• Compared performance between 20 OSA patients and 20 healthy controls.

Main Results:

• Obstructive sleep apnoea patients exhibited lower switching scores on the IGT compared to controls.
• OSA patients demonstrated a persistent tendency to select disadvantageous, risky decks throughout the task.
• Decision-making performance in OSA patients was significantly correlated with the severity of hypoxaemia.

Conclusions:

• Newly diagnosed obstructive sleep apnoea patients display impaired decision-making, characterized by a preference for immediate rewards and avoidance of long-term gains.
• Hypoxaemia associated with OSA appears to negatively impact cognitive functions related to decision making.
• Findings suggest that OSA-related hypoxaemia may affect neural substrates critical for effective decision making.