We’re excited to share our new publication in Sleep titled:
“Hypoxemia during rapid eye movement sleep mediates memory impairment in older adults at risk for dementia via CA1 hippocampal volume loss”
đź“„ Read the full article on PubMed
Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and nocturnal oxygen deprivation (hypoxemia) are known risk factors for dementia—but what happens during REM sleep may be particularly important.
In this study of 338 older adults with subjective or mild cognitive impairment, we found that:
- REM sleep hypoxemia—measured by oxygen desaturation events—was indirectly linked to poorer verbal learning and memory.
- This relationship was mediated by reduced volume in the CA1 subfield of the hippocampus, a region critical for memory.
- Notably, these effects were specific to REM sleep, with no similar findings in non-REM sleep.
🔍 Why it matters: These findings suggest that disrupted oxygen supply during REM sleep may damage memory-critical brain regions before clinical dementia is apparent. Targeting REM-specific hypoxemia could be a promising avenue for intervention and prevention.
This research adds to the growing evidence that addressing sleep-related breathing disturbances—especially during REM sleep—could help protect brain health in at-risk older adults.