Increased risk of cerebral white matter lesions in obstructive sleep apnea syndrome

The aim of this study was to investigate the relation between obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) and cerebral white matter lesions (CWML) on brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). This study was performed on 41 patients who were diagnosed with OSAS and simple snoring, and had brain MRI scan. The brain MRIs of the patients were reviewed regarding CWML. The patients were divided into four groups with regard to their apnea-hypopnea indexes. The groups were compared for CWML, and the correlations between CWML and polysomnography findings were investigated as well. Comparison of periventricular white matter (PVWM) and deep white matter (DWM) lesions among the groups revealed that these lesions significantly increased as the severity of the disease increased (p = 0.001). The CWMLs of severe OSAS group were significantly more than the other groups. PVWM and DWM lesions and age had statistically significant correlation (p = 0.001, for both). Age-adjusted correlation analysis revealed positive correlations of PVWM and DWM with AHI, duration of sleep with oxygen saturation below 90 %, and negative correlations with minimum O2 saturation (p = 0.001, for both). There was an increased risk of CWM lesions in OSAS, and particularly in severe OSAS. Hypoxia might be one of the most substantial causes in the etiopathogenesis of those lesions.