| ▲ A study has found that intermittent hypoxic conditions caused by OSA can affect the development of Alzheimer’s disease. (Photo = DB) |
[메디컬투데이=최재백 기자] Intermittent hypoxic conditions due to obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) have been shown to play a role in the development of Alzheimer’s disease.
The results of a study that intermittent hypoxic conditions caused by OSA can affect the occurrence of Alzheimer’s disease were published in the journal Nature.
The research team used a mouse model of Alzheimer’s disease to investigate the effects of OSA on the pathology of Alzheimer’s disease.
The research team reported that OSA was found to exacerbate cognitive decline in mice with Alzheimer’s disease. They explained that OSA affects blood oxygen levels, so that intermittent hypoxic conditions lead to changes in the pathology characteristic of Alzheimer’s disease, and that these changes can be prevented by restoring blood oxygen levels during sleep.
According to the study, mice with Alzheimer’s disease and OSA had more accumulation of amyloid beta in the brain and more loss of cholinergic neurons (cBF) in the basal forebrain compared to control mice.
The researchers explained that the cBF is a neuron that plays a role in regulating cognitive processes such as spatial perception and associative learning, and is the first nerve cell to degenerate when suffering from Alzheimer’s disease.
They wanted to investigate the effect of OSA-induced hypoxia on cBF degeneration and amyloid beta accumulation. They studied the effects of sleep deprivation in mice with Alzheimer’s disease but no OSA and found that the mice had reduced working memory but not cBF counts, and levels of inflammation and amyloid beta were similar to those of normal mice in the control group. said.
They then noted that the number of cBF neurons remained similar even when the sleeping mice were exposed to a hypoxic environment for 8 hours a day for 4 weeks, and assessed that chronic hypoxia and sleep deprivation did not induce Alzheimer’s disease.
Afterwards, the research team paid attention to the effect of intermittent hypoxia, not chronic axemia, on the pathology of Alzheimer’s disease.
When mice with Alzheimer’s disease and OSA were exposed to a high-oxygen environment during 4 weeks of 12 hours of sleep, the mice increased the number of cBF neurons and decreased the levels of amyloid beta and inflammation.
Regarding the research results, the research team explained that intermittent hypoxic conditions due to breathing disorders during sleep promote the death of brain cells necessary for concentration and executive functions, and accelerate inflammation and amyloid plaque formation, leading to loss of memory cells. did.
They concluded that OSA may be a risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease even in the absence of complications.
In addition, experts predict that the treatment of OSA may have an impact on the development of Alzheimer’s disease.
They refer to the discovery of target molecular markers to prevent the occurrence of OSA in patients at high risk of Alzheimer’s disease who cannot tolerate positive airway pressure therapy (PAP). It was analyzed that further research is needed in this regard.
In addition, experts say that having regular home sleep apnea screening as part of an assessment of healthy aging of the brain can significantly reduce the incidence of dementia.
They said future research should evaluate which patient groups are most vulnerable to the adverse effects of sleep apnea and when treatment for sleep apnea is most effective in preserving brain health and preventing cognitive decline.
Medical Today Reporter Jaebaek Choi (jaebaekchoi@naver.com)
[저작권자ⓒ 메디컬투데이. 무단전재-재배포 금지]