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Obstructive sleep apnea in older adults: Differential cognitive impairment moderated by sex?
Author(s) -
Legault Julie,
Thompson Cynthia,
MartineauDussault MarieÈve,
Carrier Julie,
DangVu Thien Thanh,
Lorrain Dominique,
Gosselin Nadia
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
alzheimer's and dementia
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 6.713
H-Index - 118
eISSN - 1552-5279
pISSN - 1552-5260
DOI - 10.1002/alz.038046
Subject(s) - medicine , cognition , obstructive sleep apnea , neuropsychology , stroop effect , cognitive decline , body mass index , audiology , effects of sleep deprivation on cognitive performance , risk factor , episodic memory , pediatrics , disease , dementia , psychiatry
Background Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a risk factor for cognitive decline, but the effect of sex on this association is unknown. This study aims at characterizing the relationship between risk of OSA and cognitive function in older men and women. Method We included 152 women (73 ± 6 years) and 89 men (75 ± 6 years) matched for education, age and presence of APOE4 allele. They were part of the Quebec Consortium for Early Identification of Alzheimer’s Disease (CIMA‐Q) and were either cognitively healthy or had subjective cognitive decline or mild cognitive impairment. All participants were tested with a neuropsychological battery measuring cognitive domains typically affected by Alzheimer’s disease. Risk of OSA was determined using a validated questionnaire that considers signs and symptoms associated with OSA such as snoring (S), tiredness (T), observation of apneas (O), high blood pressure (P), high body mass index (B) and larger neck circumference (N), which provides a risk score (STOP‐BN). Multiple linear regressions were performed between STOP‐BN and cognitive scores in men and women separately. Result Higher risk of OSA, identified by a higher score on the STOP‐BN, is correlated with slower information processing speed (Stroop, condition 2) in women (β= 0,896, p = 0,006) and men (β= 0,954, p = 0,043). In men, higher risk of OSA correlated with worse performance in short (Digit symbol, incidental learning score: β = 0,982, p = 0,034) and long‐term memory (Face‐name associations, delayed recall: β = 0,318, p = 0,047). Conclusion Our results suggest that sex has a moderating effect on the association between OSA and cognitive function. An altered information processing speed has already been reported in apneic patients and does not necessarily reflect a risk of dementia. However, altered memory in men at higher risk of OSA needs to be investigated longitudinally to determine whether OSA could represent an early marker of cognitive decline.