SELF-ASSESSED COGNITIVE FUNCTION IN SNORERS AND SLEEP APNEICS - AN EPIDEMIOLOGIC-STUDY OF 1,504 FEMALES AND MALES AGED 30-60 YEARS - THE DAN-MONICA-II STUDY

The objective of the study was to evaluate the relation between every- night (habitual) snoring, sleep apnea and cognitive complaints (concen tration and memory problems) in an adult population-based sample. In t he Dan-MONICA (MONItoring trends in CArdiovascular diseases) 1,504 mal es and females aged 30, 40, 50 and 60 years were classified according to their snoring habits. Nocturnal respiration was measured in 748 par ticipants. The following measures were regarded as potential confounde rs: age, gender, unintended sleepiness, insomnia, depression, hypnotic use, alcohol and tobacco consumption by questionnaire, body mass inde x (BMI) and blood pressure. Concentration and memory problems were bot h related to depression, insomnia and unintended sleepiness. Snoring a nd sleep apnea (defined as a respiratory distress index - RDI greater than or equal to 5), were associated with concentration problems and u nintended sleepiness. The odds ratios (95% confidence intervals) betwe en snoring, concentration and memory problems, calculated by logistic regression analysis after adjustments of the above confounders, were 1 .90 (1.23-2.91, p < 0.01) and 1.38 (0.97-1.99, NS). For those with sle ep apnea, the odds ratios were 3.53 (1.42-8.73, p < 0.001) and 1.51 (0 .81-2.14, NS) for concentration and memory problems, respectively. The main conclusion drawn from this study is that cognitive complaints sh ow a high correlation to mood, insomnia and hypersomnia. Habitual snor ing and sleep apnea show a correlation to concentration problems, but not to memory complaints. This suggests that part of the association b etween snoring, sleep apnea and cognitive dysfunction is related to th e presence of sleep disturbances and daytime sleepiness.