Is obstructive sleep apnea really associated with cognitive impairment?

Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) is a common sleep disorder, associated with cardiovascular, metabolic and cerebrovascular morbidity. To date, the standard treatment of OSAis Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) which reduces the severity of apneas. Several authors (e.g. Canessa et al., 2011) have shown a cognitive impairment related to this disorder, which can be reversed through regular use of CPAP . Conversely, others (e.g. Verstraeten et al., 2004) have not revealed a significant impairment in any neuropsychological domain in patients with OSA. The aim of the present study was to verify whether OSA is associated with cognitive impairment, taking into account the discordant results reported in literature