Abstract 【Objective】To observe the memory and cognitive impairment in elderly patients with obstructive sleep apnea-hypopnea syndrome (OSAHS). 【Methods】We selected 96 elderly OSAHS patients (OSAHS group) from January 2017 to December 2019 in our hospital, whose sleep apnea hypopnea index (AHI) times was more than 5 times/hour. In the same period, 40 elderly health checkups who participated this study were selected as the control group (SHIm: 0 times/h≤AHI≤5 times/h). Furthermore, the OSAHS Patients were divided into two groups according to the sleep apnea hypopnea index (AHI): the mild-moderate OSAHS group (56 patients, 5 times/h <AHI≤30 times/h) and the severe OSAHS group (40 patients, AHI> 30 times/h). The three groups of subjects received polysomnography (PSG), overall cognition, short-term memory, attention and executive ability tests'. Thus, the cognitive impairment and memory impairment were compared in the three groups. 【Results】The proportion of ODI (oxygen reduction index), AHI, RRMAI (respiratory related micro awakening index), NREM (non-rapid eye movement) sleep stage Ⅰ to Ⅱ ratio, severe cognitive dysfunction, TMT A use time, and TMT B use time in the severe OSAHS group were higher than those in the non-OSAHS group and mild-moderate OSAHS group ( P <0.05). LSaO2 (nocturnal pulse oxygen at night), NREM Ⅲ stage ratio, MMSE (simple mental state examination) scale score, MocA (Montreal cognitive assessment) scale score, DST (digital span test) forward, DST backward, CFT (complex graph test) redraw scores were lower than those in the mild to moderate OSAHS group and the non-OSAHS group ( P <0.05). The proportion of cognitive dysfunction, TMT A use time, and TMT B use time in the mild-to-moderate OSAHS group were higher than those in the non-OSAHS group ( P <0.05); and the MMSE, MoCA score, DST forward, DST reverse, and CFT redraw scores were lower than those in the non-OSAHS group ( P <0.05). Correlation analysis results showed that AHI was positively correlated with TMT A use time and TMT B use time ( P <0.05), and AHI was negatively correlated with DST forward, DST reverse, CFT redraw, MMSE, and MoCA ( P <0.05). 【Conclusion】OSAHS has memory impairment, cognitive impairment and decreased attention and execution ability. As the disease worsens, the degree of memory impairment and cognitive impairment plus the attention and execution ability decreases, which should draw important attention clinically.
GU Liang,XU Dong-hui,DU Chun-ling. Study on Memory Impairment and Cognitive Impairment in Elderly Patients with Obstructive Sleep Apnea-Hypopnea Syndrome[J]. JOURNAL OF CLINICAL RESEARCH, 2021, 38(3): 368-371.
2021, Vol. 38 
