Cognitive impairment was common in adults with obstructive sleep apnea
A pooled estimate suggests substantial cognitive impairment in clinically diagnosed adults, but the percentage varied with the assessment tool and study setting.
Based on the published abstract. The full paper may contain additional methods, results and limitations.
The 30-second takeaway
The review estimated how common cognitive impairment was among adults with confirmed obstructive sleep apnea. The pooled percentage was substantial, but results differed by assessment method and location. This prevalence estimate does not show that sleep apnea caused cognitive impairment, predict an individual's future decline, or test whether treatment changes cognition.
The abstract does not report a common assessment timeframe or comparison with adults without sleep apnea. Its wide confidence interval leaves considerable uncertainty around the overall prevalence.
What researchers found
Pooled prevalence of cognitive impairment
Among adults with obstructive sleep apnea; no comparator or common assessment timeframe was reported.
Assessment methods matter
Sleep apnea required objective clinical testing, while cognition was assessed with validated instruments. Different cognitive tools yielded different prevalence estimates, so the overall percentage combines assessments that did not identify impairment equally often.
What remains unresolved
The authors called for multinational studies that follow people over time using standardized protocols. That reflects an evidence gap: this summary cannot establish when impairment developed or how it changes.
The original publication
Prevalence of cognitive impairment among adults with obstructive sleep apnea: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
Su K, Feng Z, Wang L et al.
Sleep Breath · 2025
- PubMed ID
- 41114787
- Record checked
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