The damage to the white matter of the brain caused by acute chronic obstructive sleep apnea can be regenerated with Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) therapy, according to Italian scientists, whose conclusions were published in the journal Sleep.
CPAP therapy consists in supporting breathing by means of a mask connected to an air pump, which allows to maintain a constant positive pressure in the airways.
As shown by neuroimaging of the brains of 17 men, whose average age was 43 years, untreated obstructive sleep apnea causes changes in white matter in various regions of the brain. These changes are accompanied by a decline in cognitive functions, low mood, and problems with concentration during the day.
After three months of treatment, the improvement in white matter integrity was modest, but after 12 months, the damage was almost completely regenerated and the previously observed cognitive problems subsided. The therapy also had a positive effect on the patients’ mood and quality of life.
Previous studies have shown a reduction in the volume of gray matter in the brains of people with obstructive sleep apnea. Improvement was noted three months after the use of CPAP therapy. This suggests that white matter responds slower to therapy, notes the author of the study, Dr. Vincenza Castronovo of the Sleep Disorder Treatment Center at San Raffaele Hospital in Milan. (PAP)