Sleep Apnea Is Hurting Your Brain: Study Evidence Shows

Excessive snoring might seem like a relatively harmless issue, but more evidence shows that sleep apnea can cause serious health issues to your brain.

Recent findings published in the journal PLOS ONE show that blood flow in the brain can actually damage related tissues presented by this health issue.

"We know there is injury to the brain from sleep apnea, and we also know that the heart has problems pumping blood to the body, and potentially also to the brain," said lead study author Paul Macey, associate dean for Information Technology and Innovations at the UCLA School of Nursing, in a news release. "By using this method, we were able to show changes in the amount of oxygenated blood across the whole brain, which could be one cause of the damage we see in people with sleep apnea."

For the study, researchers measured blood flow in the brain by using a non-invasive MRI procedure: the global blood volume and oxygen dependent (BOLD) signal. This method is usually used to observe brain activity. Because previous research showed that poor regulation of blood in the brain might be a problem for people with sleep apnea, the researchers used the whole-brain BOLD signal to look at blood flow in individuals with and without obstructive sleep apnea (OSA).

In the study, researchers measured men and women both with and without the issue that had their BOLD signals measured during three physical tasks while they were awake, according to the release: 

• The Valsalva maneuver: participants forcefully breathe out through a very small tube, which raises the pressure in the chest.
• A hand-grip challenge: participants squeeze hard with their hand.
• A cold pressor challenge: A participants's right foot is put in icy water for a minute.

"When we looked at the results, we didn't see much difference between the participants with and without OSA in the Valsalva maneuver," said Macey. "But for the hand-grip and cold-pressor challenges, people with OSA saw a much weaker brain blood flow response."

"This study brings us closer to understanding what causes the problems in the brain of people with sleep apnea," concluded Macey.

With future studies, researchers hope to determine better treatments for certain types of obstructive sleep apnea and how to reverse related health issues.