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Sleep Apnea

Sleep Apnea

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...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Oct 2, 2025

Drug-Induced Sleep Endoscopy DISE with Target Controlled Infusion TCI and Bispectral Analysis in Obstructive Sleep Apnea

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Obstructive sleep apnea and white matter hyperintensities: correlation or causation?

Noah C Schammel¹, Trevor VandeWater¹, Stella Self²

¹University of South Carolina School of Medicine-Greenville, Greenville, SC, USA.

Brain Imaging and Behavior

|February 26, 2022

Summary

Obstructive sleep apnea alone does not appear to cause white matter hyperintensities. Other factors, like hypertension and age, are more significantly associated with these brain changes and potential cognitive decline.

Keywords:

Obstructive sleep apnea Small vessel ischemic episodes White matter hyperintensities

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Area of Science:

Neurology
Sleep Medicine
Radiology

Background:

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is hypothesized to cause brain ischemia via hypoxic events.
These events may manifest as white matter hyperintensities (WMH) on MRI, linked to cognitive decline.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the correlation between obstructive sleep apnea and white matter hyperintensities.
To identify contributing factors to small vessel ischemic injury in the brain.

Main Methods:

Retrospective analysis of adult patients undergoing polysomnography and brain MRI.
WMH evaluated using Fazekas scores on MRI, blinded to clinical data.
Statistical analysis including chi-square, t-tests, ANOVA/ANCOVA, and linear regression.

Main Results:

No significant association found between OSA severity or category and WMH measures.
WMH prevalence increased with age, but not significantly with OSA.
Hypertension was associated with WMH, but not with OSA category.

Conclusions:

OSA alone appears insufficient to cause white matter hyperintensities.
Age and hypertension are significant factors in the development of WMH.
Other factors likely contribute to small vessel ischemic injury and cognitive decline.