Search

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is associated with working- and autobiographical-memory impairments, and high rates of mood disorder. This study aimed to examine (i) behavioral responses and (ii) neural activation patterns elicited by autobiographical and working memory tasks in moderate-severe untreated OSA patients and healthy controls, and (iii) whether variability in autobiographical and working memory activation are associated with task performance, OSA severity and psychological symptomatology (depression, anxiety). In order to control for the potential confounding effect of elevated rates of clinical depression in OSA, we excluded individuals with a current psychiatric condition. Seventeen untreated OSA participants and 16 healthy controls were comparable with regards to both activation and behavioral performance. OSA was associated with worse subclinical mood symptoms and poorer personal semantic memory. Higher levels of nocturnal hypoxia were associated with increased activation in the occipital cortex and right cerebellum during the working memory task in OSA participants, however, no significant relationships between activation and task performance or depressive/anxiety symptomatology were observed. The neurocognitive substrates supporting autobiographical recall of recent events and working memory in younger, recently diagnosed individuals with OSA appear to be indistinguishable from healthy age-matched individuals. These findings point to the importance of early diagnosis and treatment of OSA in order to preserve cognitive function. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Autobiographical memory dysfunction is a marker of vulnerability to depression. Patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) experience high rates of depression and memory impairment, and autobiographical memory impairments have been observed compared to healthy controls; however, these groups were not age-matched. This study aimed to determine whether individuals with untreated OSA have impaired autobiographical memory when compared to age-matched controls, and to assess the quality of autobiographical memories from three broad time points. Methods: A total of 44 participants with OSA (M age=49.4±13.0) and 44 age-matched controls (M age=50.0±13.1) completed the Autobiographical Memory Interview (AMI) to assess semantic and episodic memories from three different life stages, and 44 OSA participants and 37 controls completed the Autobiographical Memory Test (AMT) to assess overgeneral memory recall (an inability to retrieve specific memories). Results: OSA participants had significantly poorer semantic recall of early adult life on the AMI (p <.001), and more overgeneral autobiographical memories recalled on the AMT (=.001), than controls. Poor semantic recall from early adult life was significantly correlated with more depressive symptoms (p =0.006) and lower education (p <0.02), while higher overgeneral memory recall was significantly associated with older age (p =.001). Conclusions: A specific deficit in semantic autobiographical recall was observed in individuals with OSA. OSA patients recalled more overgeneral memories, suggesting that aspects of the sleep disorder affect their ability to recollect specific details of events from their life. These cognitive features of OSA may contribute to the high incidence of depression in this population. (JINS 2019, 25 , 266–274) [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]