Association Between Fractional Exhaled Nitric Oxide (FeNO) and Cognitive Function in Patients with Obstructive Sleep...

Area of Science:

• Respiratory Medicine
• Neuroscience
• Sleep Medicine

Background:

• Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) involves intermittent hypoxia and sleep fragmentation, known cognitive impairing factors.
• Fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO) is a non-invasive biomarker for airway inflammation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between FeNO levels and memory performance in patients with OSA.
• To explore FeNO as a potential indicator of cognitive dysfunction in OSA.

Main Methods:

• 102 participants were divided into moderate/severe OSA (AHI≥15) and mild OSA/snoring (AHI<15) groups.
• Memory was assessed using RCFT, DOT, and LMT. FeNO was measured at 50mL/s (FeNO50) and 200mL/s (FeNO200).
• Statistical analyses included t-tests, chi-square tests, ANOVA, Spearman correlation, and hierarchical regression.

Main Results:

• Moderate/severe OSA patients exhibited higher FeNO50 and FeNO200, greater daytime sleepiness, and poorer immediate/delayed visual memory compared to the mild group.
• Poorer memory performance correlated negatively with apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) and FeNO50.
• FeNO50 independently predicted poorer immediate recall, while FeNO200 was not significant.

Conclusions:

• Moderate to severe OSA is associated with significant impairments in immediate and delayed visual memory.
• Elevated FeNO50 levels correlate with memory decline in OSA patients.
• These findings support a link between airway inflammation and cognitive dysfunction in obstructive sleep apnea.