When we think of sleep apnoea, snoring and daytime fatigue often come to mind. But a recent study published in Sleep and Breathing (2025) used MRI scanning to identify the link between obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) and brain damage.
The Hidden Lesions in the Brain
Using brain scans, researchers identified a pattern of damage—called periventricular white matter hyperintensities (PVHs)—in people with sleep apnoea. These lesions, which appear as white spots on MRI, are early warning signs for brain problems like dementia.
Severity Matters
The damage didn’t just appear, it became more severe with worse cases of sleep apnoea. People with higher apnoea–hypopnoea index scores and greater drops in oxygen levels during sleep showed more widespread white matter damage on their brain scans, even after researchers controlled for other risk factors like age and high blood pressure.
In simple terms, the more your sleep is interrupted by breathing problems and the longer your brain goes without oxygen, the higher your risk of lasting brain damage.
Growing Evidence: More Studies Confirm the Link
This study isn’t the only one to show a link between sleep apnoea and brain health. Other recent research supports the idea that sleep apnoea can cause memory and thinking problems:
- Lisik & Zou (2025) showed that people with sleep apnoea are more likely to develop dementia—even if they don’t have other health issues like being overweight or having heart problems.
- Cui et al. (2025) found that people with early Alzheimer’s symptoms (amnestic mild cognitive impairment) had disrupted sleep patterns, especially in REM and slow-wave sleep, which were linked to poorer memory performance. The study suggests that treating sleep apnoea may help preserve memory in early Alzheimer’s.
- Liang et al. (2025) revealed that people who are genetically at higher risk for OSA showed faster progression from mild cognitive impairment to Alzheimer’s disease. They also had more brain plaques (linked to Alzheimer’s) and signs of nerve damage in the brain.
- Tan et al. (2025) discovered that children with sleep apnoea had more trouble with learning and problem-solving, showing that brain effects can start young.
- Leonhard & Kapur (2024) found that hypoxic burden (the total amount of oxygen the brain misses during sleep) is a stronger predictor of brain damage than the traditional AHI score (which counts how often breathing stops or becomes shallow).
Together, these studies show that sleep apnoea can affect the brain at any age and may quietly speed up memory loss and cognitive decline.
Why This Matters
- Silent Injury: OSA may harm your brain long before symptoms show up.
- Beyond Sleep: This isn’t just a sleep disorder—it’s a potential contributor to early neurodegeneration.
- Early Detection: Routine brain imaging might someday be used to screen high-risk individuals.
The Takeaway
There is growing evidence that sleep apnea is a serious neurological risk—not just a nighttime nuisance. It reinforces the importance of early diagnosis and treatment, whether through CPAP therapy, weight management, or other treatment options.
If you or someone you know struggles with loud snoring, poor sleep, or unexplained fatigue, it might be time to call Home Sleep for a laboratory-quality sleep study conducted in the comfort and privacy of your own home.
Accurately identifying the presence and severity of sleep apnea is key to choosing the best treatment. With the right diagnosis, you can take action early to protect both your sleep and your long-term brain health.
References
- Uchimura, M., et al. (2025). Association between periventricular white matter hyperintensity and moderate-to-severe patients with sleep apnea syndrome. Sleep and Breathing.
- Leonhard, A.G., & Kapur, V.K. (2024). Beyond traditional hypoxemia metrics: hypoxic burden and cognitive dysfunction. Sleep.
- Lisik, D., & Zou, D. (2025). OSA and dementia risk. Thorax.
- Tan, W., et al. (2025). White matter changes in pediatric OSA. Brain Imaging and Behavior.
- Cui, L., et al. (2025). CPAP use in MCI and Alzheimer’s. Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease Reports.
- Liang, J., et al. (2025). OSA and Alzheimer’s biomarkers. Neurology.