Sleep apnea syndrome contributes to an increase in the permeability of the blood-brain barrier, which increases the risk of brain damage, researchers from the University of California in Los Angeles report in the Journal of Neuroimaging.
The blood-brain barrier is made up of specialized cells that surround the blood vessels of the brain. It limits the access of harmful substances and drugs, thus protecting the brain from damage.
Nine people diagnosed with apnea participated in the study. Compared to those who did not have this disorder, markedly increased permeability of the blood-brain barrier was observed in patients with apnea. «Sleep apnea damage is reflected in, inter alia, on the functioning of memory, mood, or the risk of heart disease. However, the methods of sealing the blood-brain barrier have already been developed by scientists »- says the author of the research, Dr. Rajesh Kumar.
Disorders of breathing during sleep cause that tissues do not receive enough oxygen, the blood pressure fluctuates and the heart beats faster. The result is daytime sleepiness, fatigue, difficulty concentrating, and mood disturbances.
Previous analyzes indicated that insufficient oxygen supply and high blood pressure affect barrier function and the risk of brain damage. This phenomenon has now been observed for the first time in apnea patients. The damage that apnea causes to the brain is partly due to tissue hypoxia, but researchers do not yet know the exact processes that lead to increased barrier permeability.
Dr. Kumar intends to investigate this phenomenon in a larger group of patients and to test available methods of ‘sealing’ the barrier in order to be able to prevent damage in a timely manner.