New Study Using Video Games Shows How Sleep Apnea Harms Your Memory

For years doctors and patients alike have known that obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) can affect memory and make it difficult to concentrate during the day. However, the full extent of how much mindpower the sleep disorder can rob wasn’t known until recently. In a new study, which was published in the most recent issue of the Journal of Neuroscience, researchers at the New York University Sleep Disorders Center found that sleep apnea significantly affects spatial memory – the type of memory that helps you navigate the world, recall daily events, remember where you put your keys. The study involved 18 participants, all of whom regularly used a CPAP (continuous positive airway pressure) device to treat their sleep apnea. All 18 were asked to play a maze-based video game directly before they went to sleep and when they got up. On one night, they used their CPAP machine as usual. On another night, researchers allowed the test subject’s sleep apnea to interfere with their REM sleep. The results showed that when their sleep apnea was treated, participants became about 30 percent faster at the maze when they approached it for a second time in the morning. When their REM sleep was disrupted by sleep apnea, they couldn’t complete the maze any faster than they had the night before. Their spatial memory simply wasn’t there to help them. "We've shown for the first time that sleep apnea, an increasingly common medical condition, might negatively impact formation of certain memories, even when the apnea is limited to REM sleep," lead author Andrew Varga said in a release. “Our findings suggest memory loss might be an additional symptom for clinicians to screen for in their patients with sleep apnea." While REM sleep only makes up 10-15 percent of the sleep cycle, researchers believe that this time is vital when it comes to memory and proper brain function. Sleep apnea, which can disrupt the sleep cycle dozens of time an hour, often prevents REM sleep. Read the full study about how sleep apnea harms your memory in the Journal of Neuroscience. Permanent Sleep Apnea Treatment at Surgical Sleep Solutions Our patients tell us repeatedly that curing their sleep apnea has changed their lives, especially when it comes to memory and concentration. Many didn’t even realize how much their careers and lives were suffering simply due to not getting a good night’s sleep. To learn more about our sleep apnea treatment, or to see if a surgical solution might be right for you, please contact us today.