Acute Obstructive Sleep Apnea Impacts Diurnal Alzheimer’s Biomarkers Through Nocturnal Hypoxemia and State Transitions

2019 Focused Projects Grant for Junior Investigators

KOREY KAM, PHD
THE ICAHN SCHOOL OF MEDICINE AT MOUNT SINAI

Key Project Outcome

We were able to measure the effect of acute severe obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) on plasma Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) biomarkers Aβ40, total tau and neurofilament light (NfL) chain across a night of sleep. Within the same individuals, we also compared the effect of treating severe OSA by use of continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy. In 30 individuals that participated in this in-lab study of two sleep conditions (with and without therapeutic CPAP), we found an across the night increase in NfL when CPAP was withdrawn compared to use of CPAP. This preliminary finding will allow us investigate how treating OSA may alter the earliest stages of preclinical Alzheimer’s and related-neurodegenerative diseases by investigating longitudinal effects of CPAP use on AD plasma biomarkers as well as mechanistic relationships of OSA and brain dysfunction.

Journal Articles

American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine

Acute OSA Impacts Diurnal Alzheimer’s Biomarkers Through Nocturnal Hypoxemia and State Transitions