Neurocognitive function in obstructive sleep apnoea: A meta-review

Adult obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) is associated with cognitive dysfunction. While many review articles have attempted to summarize the evidence for this association, it remains difficult to determine which domains of cognition are affected by OSA. This is because of marked differences in the natu...

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Main Authors: Bucks, R., Olaithe, M., Eastwood, Peter
Format: Journal Article
Published: Wiley-Blackwell Publishing Asia 2013
Online Access:http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/58507
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author Bucks, R.
Olaithe, M.
Eastwood, Peter
author_facet Bucks, R.
Olaithe, M.
Eastwood, Peter
author_sort Bucks, R.
building Curtin Institutional Repository
collection Online Access
description Adult obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) is associated with cognitive dysfunction. While many review articles have attempted to summarize the evidence for this association, it remains difficult to determine which domains of cognition are affected by OSA. This is because of marked differences in the nature of these reviews (e.g. many are unsystematic) and the many different tasks and domains assessed. This paper addresses this issue by comparing the results of only systematic reviews or meta-analyses assessing the effects of OSA on cognition, the relationship between OSA severity and cognition, and/or the effects of treatment on cognition in OSA. Electronic databases and hand-searching were undertaken to select reviews that reported on these areas. We found 33 reviews; five reviews met predetermined, stringent selection criteria. The majority of reviews supported deficits in attention/vigilance, delayed long-term visual and verbal memory, visuospatial/constructional abilities, and executive function in individuals with OSA. There is also general agreement that language ability and psychomotor function are unaffected by OSA. Data are equivocal for the effects of OSA on working memory, short-term memory and global cognitive functioning. Attention/vigilance dysfunction appears to be associated with sleep fragmentation and global cognitive function with hypoxaemia. Continuous positive airway pressure treatment of OSA appears to improve executive dysfunction, delayed long-term verbal and visual memory, attention/vigilance and global cognitive functioning. In order to improve our understanding of cognitive dysfunction in OSA, future research should pay particular attention to participant characteristics, measures of disease severity and choice of neuropsychological tests. © 2012 The Authors. Respirology © 2012 Asian Pacific Society of Respirology.
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spelling curtin-20.500.11937-585072017-11-24T05:46:55Z Neurocognitive function in obstructive sleep apnoea: A meta-review Bucks, R. Olaithe, M. Eastwood, Peter Adult obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) is associated with cognitive dysfunction. While many review articles have attempted to summarize the evidence for this association, it remains difficult to determine which domains of cognition are affected by OSA. This is because of marked differences in the nature of these reviews (e.g. many are unsystematic) and the many different tasks and domains assessed. This paper addresses this issue by comparing the results of only systematic reviews or meta-analyses assessing the effects of OSA on cognition, the relationship between OSA severity and cognition, and/or the effects of treatment on cognition in OSA. Electronic databases and hand-searching were undertaken to select reviews that reported on these areas. We found 33 reviews; five reviews met predetermined, stringent selection criteria. The majority of reviews supported deficits in attention/vigilance, delayed long-term visual and verbal memory, visuospatial/constructional abilities, and executive function in individuals with OSA. There is also general agreement that language ability and psychomotor function are unaffected by OSA. Data are equivocal for the effects of OSA on working memory, short-term memory and global cognitive functioning. Attention/vigilance dysfunction appears to be associated with sleep fragmentation and global cognitive function with hypoxaemia. Continuous positive airway pressure treatment of OSA appears to improve executive dysfunction, delayed long-term verbal and visual memory, attention/vigilance and global cognitive functioning. In order to improve our understanding of cognitive dysfunction in OSA, future research should pay particular attention to participant characteristics, measures of disease severity and choice of neuropsychological tests. © 2012 The Authors. Respirology © 2012 Asian Pacific Society of Respirology. 2013 Journal Article http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/58507 10.1111/j.1440-1843.2012.02255.x Wiley-Blackwell Publishing Asia unknown
spellingShingle Bucks, R.
Olaithe, M.
Eastwood, Peter
Neurocognitive function in obstructive sleep apnoea: A meta-review
title Neurocognitive function in obstructive sleep apnoea: A meta-review
title_full Neurocognitive function in obstructive sleep apnoea: A meta-review
title_fullStr Neurocognitive function in obstructive sleep apnoea: A meta-review
title_full_unstemmed Neurocognitive function in obstructive sleep apnoea: A meta-review
title_short Neurocognitive function in obstructive sleep apnoea: A meta-review
title_sort neurocognitive function in obstructive sleep apnoea: a meta-review
url http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/58507