None listed
Conditions
Brief summary
Obstructive Sleep Apnoea (OSA) is a highly prevalent chronic illness, characterised by repetitive collapse of the airway during sleep, causing falls in blood oxygen levels and sleep disruption. OSA is associated with cognitive deficits, especially memory impairments. Another common condition, dementia, is in the top 4 causes of burden of disease of high-income nations. It affects over 340,000 Australians. OSA is common in patients with dementia, with estimates of 38-45% of dementia patients having OSA. The risk of Alzheimer’s disease and vascular dementia has been shown to increase in patients with OSA. However, a direct causal link between these two conditions has not been established. Beta-amyloid deposits are commonly found in the brains of patients with dementia, and are implicated in the development of dementia. Positron emission tomography (PET) can be used to assess levels of amyloid in the brains of patients, and these levels can be associated with cognitive function. Previous studies performed at Austin Health have found significant associations between amyloid levels and memory impairment in patients with mild cognitive impairment. To date, no studies have examined whether OSA is associated with higher levels of beta amyloid deposits or Alzheimer’s disease -type neural changes, or how these changes relate to cognitive performance. This study will use PET scanning techniques to examine the levels of amyloid in the brains of patients with OSA, and compare these to brain scans of healthy participants. This study will also conduct cognitive assessments in the OSA patients and healthy controls, examining associations between cognitive performance and amyloid levels. Identifying potential biomarkers of amyloid burden in OSA could have important implications for early detection and risk assessment. Early identification of the risk of developing dementia in patients with OSA is important as it allows the possibility of a simple intervention that targets the sleep disorder that may be contributing towards the development of neural and cognitive impairment, before it progresses to dementia.
Interventions
The study group is individuals with moderate to severe obstructive sleep apnoea.
Participants attend 1 x 2.5-hour face-to-face cognitive testing session that is run by a Research Assistant with experience in administering the testing materials . Participants are asked to complete a number of self-report questionnaires and cognitive/mood assessment tasks. Participants undergo 1x 18-F-NAV4694 PET scan to observe the amount of amyloid in the brain. An introvenous line will be inserted into a vein
The study group is individuals with moderate to severe obstructive sleep apnoea. Participants attend 1 x 2.5-hour face-to-face cognitive testing session that is run by a Research Assistant with experience in administering the testing materials . Participants are asked to complete a number of self-report questionnaires and cognitive/mood assessment tasks. Participants undergo 1x 18-F-NAV4694 PET scan to observe the amount of amyloid in the brain. An introvenous line will be inserted into a vein of the arm for the injection of the imaging agent. Participants will rest for 50 minutes and then be positioned lying down with their head in the PET scanner. A 20-minute image will be acquired starting at 50 minutes post injection of the 18F-NAV4694.
Sponsors
Institute for Breathing and Sleep
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
All
Age
50 Years to 75 Years
Healthy volunteers
Yes
Inclusion criteria
Aged 50-75 years; OSA diagnosis (AHI>15 events/hr); are OSA treatment-naïve; sufficient English to undertake cognitive testing; able to provide informed consent. Healthy controls will be age- and gender-matched to the OSA group. The will be required to have sufficient English to undertake cognitive testing; able to provide informed consent; must have no sleep disorder (AHI <5 events/hr).
Exclusion criteria
Active medical or psychiatric condition that may interfere with study procedures; or a previous diagnosis of dementia; pregnancy.
Outcome results
None listed