Aberrant Interhemispheric Connectivity in Obstructive Sleep Apnea-Hypopnea Syndrome

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Sleep Medicine
• Medical Imaging

Background:

• Obstructive sleep apnea-hypopnea syndrome (OSAHS) is associated with cognitive impairments.
• Interhemispheric functional coordination is crucial for cognitive functions.
• Voxel-mirrored homotopic connectivity (VMHC) is a novel method to assess this coordination.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate changes in interhemispheric functional coordination in OSAHS patients using VMHC.
• To explore the relationship between these connectivity changes and clinical characteristics.

Main Methods:

• Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data were acquired from 29 OSAHS patients and 26 healthy controls.
• Voxel-mirrored homotopic connectivity (VMHC) analysis was employed to compare interhemispheric functional connectivity between groups.
• Correlations between VMHC alterations and clinical data (e.g., AHI) were examined.

Main Results:

• OSAHS patients showed higher BMI, AHI, oxygen desaturation index, and Epworth sleepiness scores, alongside lower Rey-Osterrieth complex figure test-immediate recall scores.
• Significant increases in VMHC were observed in the bilateral calcarine cortex and precuneus of OSAHS patients compared to controls.
• Positive correlations were found between the apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) and VMHC changes in these brain regions.

Conclusions:

• A memory defect was identified in patients with OSAHS.
• Abnormal VMHC in OSAHS patients correlates with the AHI, suggesting AHI's role in cognitive dysfunction.
• These findings offer insights into the neural pathophysiology of OSAHS-related cognitive deficits.