Can electrophysiological tests be used as screening tools in detection of cognitive impairment in obstructive sleep apnea hypopnea syndrome?

Background One of the most prevalent sleep disorders is obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Patients with OSA have increased risk of car and work place accidents which may be attributed to cognitive impairment due to poor sleep quality. Thus, there is an increasing need to implement simple, reliable and rapid screening for cognitive impairment in OSA patients. Objectives To assess auditory event-related potentials (ERPs) and quantitative electroencephalography (QEEG) as screening tools for detection of cognitive impairment in OSA patients taking circadian effects into consideration. Subjects and methods Twenty OSA patients as well as 20 gender- and age-matched volunteers were subjected to trail making test (TMT), auditory ERPs and QEEG before and after at least 6 h polysomnographic recording. Correlating electrophysiological tools with TMT and clinical parameters was done as well Results Statistically significant changes in P300 latency and reaction time, in addition to occipital alpha power were noted in cases; however, TMT failed to detect such changes. Electrophysiological results were not constantly correlated to clinical parameters. Conclusion Auditory ERPs and QEEG before and after polysomnography can be of benefit as cognitive screening test for suspected cognitive impairment in OSA patients.