Obstructive Sleep Apnea Affects Cognition in Parkinson’s Disease
Linda Peckel | April 12, 2017 | NeurologyAdvisor.com Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) in patients with Parkinson’s disease (PD) is linked to higher levels of sleepiness and lower cognitive function scores, according to results published in Neurology.1 Cognitive dysfunction is one of the nonmotor symptoms (NMS) of PD that is associated with lower quality of life.2 Further, dementia occurs in about 30% of patients with PD, reaching as high as 80% in patients with advanced age and disease.3 Cognitive and psychomotor impairments have also been tied to obstructive sleep apnea, likely related to disrupted sleep and hypoxemia.4 Victoria Mercy, MD, of …