Essential
Obstructive Sleep Apnea May Impact Verbal Memory
Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), which occurs when breathing periodically pauses during sleep, is linked to a variety of memory issues, including dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. Now, a recent
study published in Alzheimer’s Research & Therapy has discovered that the severity of sleep apnea during the deep REM stages of sleep may impact verbal memory.
Researchers from the University of California, Irvine examined 81 middle-aged and older adults with heightened risk for Alzheimer’s Disease. Participants underwent a special sleep study, called polysomnography, along with verbal memory assessments using the Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test (RAVLT). The study also considered factors such as sex, age, APOE4 gene status (a known genetic risk factor for Alzheimer’s Disease), and family history.
They found that OSA was linked to worse performance on the memory test, especially when it was more severe during REM sleep compared to other sleep stages. This was especially true for older adults and those with genes that increase the risk of Alzheimer’s. This suggests that OSA during REM sleep could be detrimental to memory, especially in people at higher risk for Alzheimer’s.
The
researchers say this study underscores the importance of recognizing and treating OSA, even if it seems mild. Keeping OSA in check may help to prevent declines in memory and potentially lower the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease.
Nightmares & Daymares May Signal an Autoimmune Disease Flareup
There’s no question that nightmares and daymares (waking nightmares) can be very distressing. Now, new research suggests that these neurological symptoms may signal an impending flareup of an autoimmune disease, such as lupus.
In a
study published in eClinicalMedicine, researchers at the University of Cambridge and King’s College London collected data through online surveys of 676 lupus patients and 400 doctors, along with over 100 interviews. The research aimed to understand neurological symptoms, such as tremors, fatigue, depression, and hallucinations, and their timing in relation to autoimmune disease flare-ups.
The
results indicated that three out of five patients experienced disrupted dream sleep with about a third of those reporting that this symptom emerged a year before their other lupus symptoms. Daymares (hallucinations) were experienced by just 25% of patients, 85% of whom didn’t experience this symptom until about the time their other lupus symptoms emerged.
While these findings are intriguing, more research is needed to confirm the link between these symptoms and autoimmune disease flare-ups. However, they may provide another diagnostic tool for doctors to identify and treat autoimmune diseases, such as lupus, in their earliest stages.