Research has shown that people with sleep apnea may experience enlargement of the hippocampus, the brain region responsible for memory and thinking, and an increase in white matter damage.

 

Sleep apnea is a condition characterized by loud snoring and occasional pauses in breathing.

It is reported that 20 to 70% of people who snore also experience sleep apnea. When breathing stops, oxygen levels drop, which can affect the brain, and it is also considered a risk factor for stroke, Alzheimer's disease, and dementia.

 

Professor Alberto R. Ramos's research team at the University of Miami in the United States conducted a study to investigate the relationship between sleep apnea and brain changes. To do this, the team measured breathing frequency and blood oxygen levels during sleep using sleep testing devices in 2,667 Latin American Americans (average age 68 years), and ten years later, they scanned the brains to measure brain volume and the damaged white matter, called hyperdense white matter, in the brain tissue. Among the participants, 56% were classified as a group with no sleep problems, 28% as a mild sleep problem group with 5-15 episodes of apnea per hour, and 16% as a moderate to severe sleep problem group with more than 15 episodes of apnea.

Analysis of brain scan measurements taken 10 years later, considering factors such as age, gender, and hypertension, showed that the moderate to severe sleep problem group had hippocampal volumes 0.24 cm³ larger than the group without sleep problems, and hippocampal volume increased by 0.006 cm³ for each additional sleep disorder.

 

The research team explained that a decrease in blood oxygen levels due to sleep apnea is significantly associated not only with an increase in hippocampal volume but also with an increase in dense white matter, indicating damage to the deep parts of the brain. They also stated that this finding is consistent with the general phenomenon of declining brain health that occurs with aging.

 

Professor Ramos, the lead author of the study, stated, "These research findings demonstrate the complex relationship between sleep health and brain aging," and emphasized, "Understanding the impact of sleep disorders such as sleep apnea on brain volume is especially crucial to enable early and effective treatment for individuals at high risk of dementia."

 

Sleep apnea does not resolve on its own, so it is advisable to seek treatment at a hospital. If symptoms are severe, using a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machine that supplies oxygen can also be effective. Elevating the upper body by 30-40 degrees while sleeping or lying on one's side can also help widen the airway and improve snoring.

 

This research result was recently published in the American Academy of Neurology's journal, 'Neurology'.

 

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My husband suddenly made a choking sound while sleeping.

If you sleep on your side, you won't do that.

If you sleep lying flat on your back

I am very sensitive to sounds, so I can hear even faint noises.

 

I really get bothered by these breathing sounds.

For some reason, when I run out of breath, I tend to suddenly stop.

 

It is a disease that does not improve on its own during apnea.