| Summary: | 碩士 === 慈濟大學 === 人類發展學系碩士班 === 105 === Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), a sleep disorder with repeated nocturnal desaturation and sleep fragmentation, may influence several aspects of cognitive function. The treatment of OSA is to wear a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP), with air pressure to keep airway unimpeded during sleep. Currently, the studies of the CPAP effects on cognitive functions in OSA patients are controversial. This study explores the changes of cognitive function in patients with OSA after 8-week CPAP intervention.
53 patients with moderate to severe OSA were enrolled in this study. 15 patients refused for CPAP (control group) and the other 38 patients were assigned to receive CPAP treatment over an 8-week period (CPAP group). Cognitive function outcomes were measured using Wechsler Memory ScaleⅢ- logical memory subtest (immediate and delayed verbal memory), face memory subtest (immediate and delayed visual memory),digital span test(working memory), digital substitution subtest (processing speed), Stroop task (complex executive function) Flanker task (simple executive function), and psychomotor vigilance task (attention).
The CPAP group improved significantly in some parameters of verbal memory, both executive functions and attention than control group after an 8-week period. Considering the CPAP compliance may influence the outcome analysis of sleep and cognitive function, we divided the CPAP group into good and poor compliance groups (cut-off point: 160 hours of CPAP treatment) and corrected baseline scores using ANCOVA analysis. After excluding the missing data of time recording (n = 3), the good compliance group (n = 23) improved significantly in processing speed, some parameters of verbal memory, both executive functions and attention than control group after an 8-week period. The poor compliance group (n = 12) also improved significantly in some parameters of verbal memory and complex executive function.
Our study demonstrated the positive effects of CPAP on some cognitive functions in OSA patients after eight-week intervention. Otherwise, the better CPAP compliance, the greater effects on cognitive function improvement are seen in treating patients with OSA.
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