a study on brain deficits pre and post cpap tx

[kayakdoc]

Frontal lobe-related cognitive functions in patients with Sleep Apnea Syndrome before and after treatment : The relationship between sleep and cognitive functions during wakefulness
Auteur(s) / Author(s)
FEUERSTEIN C. (1) ; NAËGELE B. (2) ; PEPIN J.-L. (3) ; LEVY P. (3) ;
Affiliation(s) du ou des auteurs / Author(s) Affiliation(s)
(1) Laboratory of NeuroPhysiopathology of Sleep and Epilepsy, Clinical Neurology Unit, Department of Clinical and Biological Neurosciences, CHU and Joseph Fourier University of Grenoble, BP 217, 38043 Grenoble, FRANCE
(2) Neurology and Neuropsychology Unit of Pr. J. Pellat, Department of Clinical and Biological Neurosciences, CHU and Joseph Fourier University of Grenoble, BP 217, 38043 Grenoble, FRANCE
(3) Sleep and Respiration Unit, Department of Respiratory Disease, CHU and Joseph Fourier University of Grenoble, BP 217, 38043 Grenoble, FRANCE
Résumé / Abstract
Impairments of cognitive executive functions has been previously suspected to occur in Sleep Apnea Syndrome (SAS), as suggested by some neuropsychological studies. However such functions have not been assessed directly. In the present study, ten patients with SAS were evaluated with various focused frontal lobe-related tests in comparison with ten matched normal controls. Such tasks explored attention, short term memory spans, learning abilities, planning and programming capacities, categorizing activities and verbal fluency. Patients were found with a significant decreased ability to initiate new mental processes and to inhibit automatic ones in conjunction with a tendency for perseverative errors. They were also affected with deficits of verbal and visual learning abilities and they had reduced spans. Patients were submitted to continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) and further reevaluated after 4-6 months of treatment. Patients were found to have normalized most of their cognitive executive and learning disabilities, except for all the short-term memory tests which remained unchanged. These findings are discussed in light of data from the literature concerning cognitive impairments described for patients with isolated daytime sleepiness versus hypoxemia, as illustrated in other pathological or physiological circumstances. The contribution offrontal lobe-related systems in short-term memory functions is also taken into account.
Revue / Journal Title
Acta neurologica belgica ISSN 0300-9009 CODEN ANUBBR
Source / Source
Congrès
Société belge de Neurologie. Séance ordinaire (22/02/1997)
1997, vol. 97, no 2, pp. 130-132 (2 p.1/4), pp. 96-107

[Slinky]

I've often thought it would be interesting, even fascinating, to take part in studies of this type. I remember when one of our local hospitals brought in a fMRI. (functional MRI). They had problems after using it in fMRI w/its use as a straight MRI and the various neuros in town were running fMRIs on each other trying to get it "titrated" right. I also found neurophsychological testing very interesting - well, EXCEPT for the MMPI II which is sooooooo boring and dragged out and tiring. But the "neuro" part of neuropsychological testing was really quite fascinating. I had a great psychologist's associate doing the testing after my whiplash and he was great about explaining the test results afterwards and how which test could indicate what. I was fascinated w/the testing and results. No Roschart (ink blot) test tho. I was kind of disappointed about that, it could have been fun coming up w/some imaginative descriptions!!!!

Thanks for posting, kayakdoc.