Sleep and SVDs is a study of the effects of obstructive sleep apnea and its treatment on perivascular spaces and SVD lesions in the brain in Edinburgh and Toronto, funded by the Fondation Leducq Transatlantic Network of Excellence on Perivascular Spaces in SVDs. Sleep disorders like snoring are common and cause daytime sleepiness. Severe sleep disorders can lead to lack of oxygen (sleep apnea) and raised blood pressure, can increase the risk of heart disease, stroke, and of developing brain damage which can be seen on scanning, called ‘small vessel disease’. Small vessel disease also increases the risk of stroke and dementia. Some recent laboratory and patient studies suggest that sleep disorders and ‘small vessel disease’ are linked since both may affect the drainage of waste products from the brain that keeps the brain healthy. Sleep disorders such as apnea are usually treated by wearing a special mask at night that helps to hold the air passages open to prevent snoring and apnea. This is called Continuous Positive Airway Pressure therapy (CPAP). This study aims to assess whether treatment for sleep apnea using a special breathing mask may reduce the visible damage in the brain due to small vessel disease and improve the function of the blood vessels in the brain. We recruited 40 patients with sleep apnea in Edinburgh (to combine with 40 patients being recruited in Toronto). The patients were asked questions about sleep patterns, medical history, smoking, exercise, thinking skills, and memory. Then the patients wore small portable watch-like machines at home for a week to measure blood pressure, activity, and sleep quality, then had a magnetic resonance brain scan to show how well the blood vessels worked, and a blood sample taken. Then the patients started treatment for sleep apnea using CPAP according to current guidelines. After four months, we repeated the tests to see if the brain scan, cognitive tests, or general health had changed. This study provided more information about sleep, brain health, and the prevention of stroke and dementia. Researchers The Brain Changes in Sleep Apnea study is a collaboration between The University of Edinburgh and Professor Sandra Black’s team at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto. Part of the Fondation Leducq Transatlantic Network of Excellence led by Professor Joanna Wardlaw (Europe) and Professor Berislav Zlokovic (North America), this study aims to examine cerebral small vessel disease in adults with moderate-to-severe obstructive sleep apnoea. Related links Perivascular Spaces in Small Vessel Diseases website This article was published on 2024-08-27
