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Comparison of cognitive performance among different age groups in patients with obstructive sleep apnea

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Abstract

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of obstructive sleep apnea syndrome on the cognitive performance of young and middle-aged patients. Patients were divided into two groups, one consisting of 30 patients less than 50 years of age and the other consisting of 28 patients 50 years and over. Normal subjects were similarly divided into two groups, composed of 17 younger and 24 older controls. Patients and controls were examined with all-night polysomnography and subsequently underwent cognitive testing via attention–alertness tests. Comparing young to middle-aged patients, there were statistically significant differences in cognitive performance, especially in attention tests. Younger patients’ cognitive performance was similar to their age-matched controls, while middle-aged patients showed cognitive decline in comparison with their age-matched controls. Although we studied only two age groups using 50 years of age as a cut-off, we could demonstrate that cognitive deterioration of untreated sleep apnea patients is age dependent, and several factors may contribute to this effect including brain hypoxia, sleep fragmentation, or comorbidities. Aging patients with sleep apnea demonstrate cognitive decline, while younger patients with the same disease severity are (somehow) able to compensate for this effect.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Sleep Laboratory, Department of Pulmonary Medicine, University of Athens Medical School, Sotiria Hospital for Chest Diseases, Athens, Greece

    Manos Alchanatis, Nikolaos Zias, Nikolaos Deligiorgis, Alexandra Chroneou & Charis Roussos

  2. Department of Psychiatry, University of Athens Medical School, Aiginitio Hospital, Athens, Greece

    Ioannis Liappas & Constantin Soldatos

  3. 3 Littles Brook Ct, Burlington, MA, 01803, USA

    Nikolaos Zias

Authors
  1. Manos Alchanatis
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  2. Nikolaos Zias
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  3. Nikolaos Deligiorgis
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  4. Ioannis Liappas
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  5. Alexandra Chroneou
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  6. Constantin Soldatos
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  7. Charis Roussos
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Correspondence to Nikolaos Zias.

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Alchanatis, M., Zias, N., Deligiorgis, N. et al. Comparison of cognitive performance among different age groups in patients with obstructive sleep apnea. Sleep Breath 12, 17–24 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11325-007-0133-y

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