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Is it true that sleep apnea causes you to loose your memory? If so, is there anything you can do to regain memory?
Views: 101
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Andy on
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Hi Myrtice,
I've hear that apnea does affect memory, and hopefully will improve once you've been on CPAP.
My memory was getting really bad prior to my apnea diagnosis. In fact, it was one of the reasons I had gone to the doctor for a checkup. I relaly thought I was in some form of pre-alzheimers.
Luckily, since I've been on CPAP, my memory has improved somewhat, and I am hopeful it will continue to improve.
.
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Permalink Reply by Marcy on
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Hi Myrtice,
I have been using my CPAP for a few years now. My memory was really bad but it mostly affected my speech and language. I could remember information but would also have to keep "to do" lists. But I often confuse my words and sentences. It even affected my writing skills. It was really bad before I learned I had apnea. It has improved but unfortunately I still have trouble talking and writing. I think it will persist in my case. But...no more morning headaches, no more being to weary to do anything, no more irritabilty from lack of sleep! Good luck to you.
Marcy
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Permalink Reply by Steven Y. Park, MD on
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Take a look at my blog on this topic.
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Permalink Reply by RL on
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Hi Myrtice,
Yes, there is a documented effect on memory loss caused by sleep apnea. See the article section of SleepGuide for the article titled "Evidence that Obstructive Sleep Apnea Causes Brain Damage" for more info.
From things I've read over the years, it used to be thought that the brain and other nerve cells did not regenerate, but I believe that has been shown to be incorrect. You might want to google that for more current info. At least we can prevent the increasing damage by using our xPAP therapy as much as possible, and then exercising our brains to increase the thought pathways we have, allowing us to think better. There are many brain exercise programs and books available now, often utilizing common things like crossword and sudoku puzzles, and other things too. Physical exercise has a positive effect on the brain also. There are many things you can do to help your brain. Quality sleep is one of them.
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Thanks Dr. Park for this new information. I just read your website article "Sleep Apnea Causes Brain Damage" (per your link). This makes sense to me regarding my own diagnosis of complex apnea with idiopathic central apnea. I have been trying to figure this out as there was no known cause for the central apnea for me. I figure there has to be a reason, even if it is not known or understood at this time. It is not fun to hear this, but at least I can use this information to do what what I am recommending to others, and discuss with my doctors.
Steven Y. Park, MD said:Take a look at my blog on this topic.
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Permalink Reply by RockRpsgt on
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http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20086074?itool=EntrezSystem2.PEn...
Neurocognitive effects include daytime sleepiness and impaired memory and concentration. These effects reflect hypoxic-induced "neural injury."
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19630363?itool=EntrezSystem2.PEn...
A relatively large number of neurodegenerative diseases are associated with sleep disorders. In some diseases it was shown that the sleep disorder occurred long before the diagnosis. Therefore, it is hereby suggested that performing overnight polysomnography should be a routine check for any patient complaining about memory loss, cognitive decline or Parkinsonism. Identifying sleep disorders and trying to treat them could prevent or even improve cognition and/or behavior in some of the neurodegenerative diseases. In addition, it is suggested to perform neurocognitive evaluation for patients suffering from obstructive sleep apnea.
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Great blog Dr. Park!
Here is another great article on memory loss and sleep apnea.
http://serendip.brynmawr.edu/exchange/node/1690
REM sleep stimulates areas of the brain used for learning and memory (10). When a person is taught a new skill his or her performance does not improve until he or she receives at least eight hours of sleep (11). An extended period of sleep ensures that the brain will be able to complete the full sleep cycle, including REM sleep. The necessity of sleep for learning could be due to the fact that sleep increases the production of proteins while reducing the rate at which they are broken down (10). Proteins are used to regenerate the neurons within the brain. Without them new synapses may not be able to be formed, thus limiting the amount of information a sleep-deprived individual can maintain
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This brings up an important point that with sleep apnea, it's not a matter of whether or not it causes memory loss and brain damage, but to what degree, whether it's temporary or permanent, and where in the brain is damage done. Some will have only temporary injury, with return of functioning after definitive treatment. Others will have only partial return, and some will have no improvements whatsoever. This may explain the highly variable neurologic responses to sleep apnea treatment. The brain is able to regenerate itself, to a certain degree, aided by reoxygenation, supplemental nutrients, good diet and exercise. The more severe and prolonged the apnea, the worse the expected outcome.
The other important implication is the location of the injury. The paper I cited found multiple areas of injury in the brain, many of which involve breathing/respiration, memory, autonomic nervous system control, motor movements, and even digestion. So hypothetically, if you partially or permanently damage neurons in the basal ganglia, then your dopamine levels will be lower, giving you symptoms of Parkinson's. You can also have mild levels of insufficiency without any objective imaging study findings.
I've also informally surveyed about 40 MS patients online and almost all have small jaws, can't sleep on their sides, and one or both parents that snore severely. Whenever I examine a patient that comes in for a routine ENT problem who just happens to have MS, their upper airways are very narrow, just like with sleep apnea patients. Transient diverse neurologic symptoms can be explained by temporary vascular injury, which can show up as a "plaque" on MRIs. Many will will also go on to develop sleep apnea, but some will have features of upper airway resistance syndrome. I have a theory about how UARS can lead to symptoms of autoimmune conditions, but that's a long discussion for another time.
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Permalink Reply by Lailoni Jimenez on
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I was wondering about that myself because I myself have sleep apnea and I sometimes feel like I forget things a lot more often than I used to. I figure its because of the oxygen loss to the brain that has the same affect some narcotic drugs have to people who abuse them.
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Lailoni Jimenez said:I was wondering about that myself because I myself have sleep apnea and before I was diagnosed and began treatmean, I sometimes felt like I was forgetting things a lot more often than I used to. I figured it was because of the oxygen loss to my brain that has the same affect some narcotic drugs have to people who abuse them. I just began treatment about 3 months ago and since then I've been doing so much better at work and with my health. I even got a promotion at work.
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what kind of treatments are there for sleep apena
Lailoni Jimenez said:Lailoni Jimenez said:I was wondering about that myself because I myself have sleep apnea and before I was diagnosed and began treatmean, I sometimes felt like I was forgetting things a lot more often than I used to. I figured it was because of the oxygen loss to my brain that has the same affect some narcotic drugs have to people who abuse them. I just began treatment about 3 months ago and since then I've been doing so much better at work and with my health. I even got a promotion at work.
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Do you know of something else to do to help with memory?
RL said:Hi Myrtice,
Yes, there is a documented effect on memory loss caused by sleep apnea. See the article section of SleepGuide for the article titled "Evidence that Obstructive Sleep Apnea Causes Brain Damage" for more info.
From things I've read over the years, it used to be thought that the brain and other nerve cells did not regenerate, but I believe that has been shown to be incorrect. You might want to google that for more current info. At least we can prevent the increasing damage by using our xPAP therapy as much as possible, and then exercising our brains to increase the thought pathways we have, allowing us to think better. There are many brain exercise programs and books available now, often utilizing common things like crossword and sudoku puzzles, and other things too. Physical exercise has a positive effect on the brain also. There are many things you can do to help your brain. Quality sleep is one of them.
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