Persons with untreated sleep apnea are prone to forget important details about their pasts.

Researchers at RMIT University compared 44 adults with untreated sleep apnea to 44 healthy individuals. They assessed each participant’s recall of memories from different stages of life.

Results showed that those with sleep apnea remembered significantly less than those without the disorder, suggesting that sleep apnea may damage the brain’s ability to recall certain life memories.

Researchers hope this finding will underscore the importance of seeking treatment for sleep apnea, which affects 936 million people worldwide.

Source:

RMIT University (2019, January 31). Sleep apnea creates gaps in life memories: People with sleep apnea struggle to remember details of memories from their own lives, putting them at risk of depression. ScienceDaily. Retrieved March 21, 2019 from www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/01/190131101103.htm