Related Experiment Video
Updated: Dec 6, 2025
07:40
Multi-Modal Home Sleep Monitoring in Older Adults
Published on: January 26, 2019
8.0K
Associations between sleep apnea and advanced brain aging in a large-scale population study
Antoine Weihs1, Stefan Frenzel1, Katharina Wittfeld1,2
1Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Medicine Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany.
Sleep
|October 5, 2020
Summary
Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is linked to advanced brain aging. Indices like apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) and oxygen desaturation index (ODI) correlate with increased brain age, suggesting inflammation plays a role.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Sleep Medicine
- Radiology
Background:
- Advanced brain aging is a risk factor for neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's.
- Sleep disorders, particularly obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), are implicated in neurodegeneration.
- Brain age, a measure of age-related brain patterns, offers insights into brain health.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between OSA severity indices (AHI and ODI) and brain age.
- To explore the mediating role of subclinical inflammation in the relationship between OSA and brain aging.
Main Methods:
- Utilized magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and overnight polysomnography data from 690 participants.
- Calculated brain age across 169 brain regions.
- Employed causal mediation analysis to assess the role of inflammation (white blood cell count).
Main Results:
- Both apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) and oxygen desaturation index (ODI) were positively associated with brain age.
- These associations remained significant after adjusting for confounders like diabetes.
- White blood cell count partially mediated the link between OSA indices and brain age, indicating subclinical inflammation.
Conclusions:
- Obstructive sleep apnea is associated with advanced brain aging, characterized by subtle, widespread changes in brain structure.
- Subclinical inflammation, indicated by white blood cell count, partially explains this association.
- Findings highlight the importance of addressing OSA in the context of preventing neurodegenerative diseases.
Related Concept Videos
01:21Sleep Apnea
348
Sleep apnea is a condition where breathing stops intermittently during sleep, often leading to significant health issues. Each episode can last from 10 to 20 seconds or more and is frequently accompanied by a brief arousal from sleep. This disturbance, largely unnoticed by the individual, can lead to severe daytime fatigue. Commonly, individuals seek help after being informed by their partners about loud snoring and noticeable breathing pauses during sleep.
The condition is more prevalent among...
The condition is more prevalent among...
348
01:26Aging
476
Aging is a complex biological phenomenon influenced by various processes that affect cellular and systemic functions. Several prominent theories attempt to explain its mechanisms, highlighting cellular limitations, oxidative damage, and hormonal changes as central factors in aging.
Cellular Clock Theory
The cellular clock theory posits that the human lifespan is closely tied to the finite capacity of cells to divide, a phenomenon governed by telomeres, which are protective caps at the ends of...
Cellular Clock Theory
The cellular clock theory posits that the human lifespan is closely tied to the finite capacity of cells to divide, a phenomenon governed by telomeres, which are protective caps at the ends of...
476
01:27Pharmacodynamics in Geriatric Patients: Effects of Age
111
Age-related pharmacokinetic changes are extensively documented, but understanding age-related pharmacodynamic alterations is relatively limited. This knowledge gap can be partly attributed to the complexity of developing appropriate measures of drug responses compared to bioanalytical methods for determining drug concentrations.Most information regarding age-related differences in human pharmacodynamics originates from cross-sectional studies. However, these studies assume that observed mean...
111
01:30Cognitive Development During Adulthood
605
Cognitive development continues throughout adulthood, undergoing significant shifts across early, middle, and late stages. Individual transition occurs from adolescent idealism to pragmatic and adaptable thinking in early adulthood. During this period, individuals learn to integrate personal beliefs with the recognition that other perspectives are equally valid. Exposure to the complexities of modern society, diverse experiences, and higher education contribute to this adaptive thought process,...
605
01:13Insufficient Sleep and Sleep Deprivation
683
Insufficient sleep refers to not getting the recommended amount of sleep for optimal functioning, even if it's just slightly less than needed. Sleep insufficiency may occur due to lifestyle choices, such as staying up late for social events or work, resulting in routinely getting less sleep than required. For example, consistently sleeping 6 hours when the body needs 7-9 hours can lead to cumulative effects on health and well-being.
Sleep deprivation is a more severe form of sleep loss...
Sleep deprivation is a more severe form of sleep loss...
683