Cognitive Function and Quality of Life in Obstructive Sleep Apnea

June 25, 2026 updated by: Amira Hosni Mostafa Shaker, Assiut University

Correlation Between the Cognitive Function and Quality of Life in Patients With OSA

Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) is a common condition that disrupts normal breathing during sleep. Beyond causing daytime tiredness, OSA can also impact a person's cognitive functions, such as their attention span, memory, and problem-solving skills, which may in turn affect their overall quality of life.

The main purpose of this study is to compare the thinking and memory skills of adults recently diagnosed with OSA against a control group of healthy adults without the condition. Furthermore, the researchers aim to understand how specific cognitive challenges (like difficulty sustaining attention) relate to a patient's physical and mental well-being.

Participants in the study will undergo an overnight sleep test (diagnostic polysomnography) at a sleep clinic. Shortly after the sleep test, participants will complete a series of short, computer-based tasks designed to measure their attention, memory, and executive function. They will also be asked to fill out standard questionnaires regarding their daily sleepiness, mood, and health-related quality of life.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Not yet recruiting

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Detailed Description

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a serious health condition affecting 9-36% of the global population, associated with significant systemic morbidity that profoundly impacts general health and quality of life (QoL) beyond the immediate symptoms of sleep disruption. Among the serious repercussions of OSA is neurocognitive impairment, which extends beyond impaired attention to include deficits in memory, executive functions, and visuo-constructive performance. Various pathophysiological links between OSA and cognitive impairment have been proposed, including sleep fragmentation, intermittent hypoxia, and apnea-related cerebral hypoperfusion.

Although OSA has been linked to poorer health-related QoL, fewer studies have investigated cognitive impairment as a factor that potentially explains this diminished QoL. This study aims to comprehensively compare the cognitive performance of patients with OSA to that of matched healthy controls, and to verify the correlation between health-related QoL (derived from the SF-36) and multiple domains of neurocognitive function.

Participants enrolled in the study will undergo a series of structured evaluations:

  • Clinical & Socio-economic Evaluation: A structured interview will capture clinical data including sleep symptoms, comorbidities, and medication use. Anthropometric measurements (BMI, neck, and waist circumferences) will be taken, and excessive daytime sleepiness will be assessed using the Epworth Sleepiness Scale. Baseline cardiopulmonary status will be evaluated via pulmonary function testing (spirometry), radiological assessment (Chest X-Ray and Transthoracic Echocardiography), and routine laboratory tests (CBC, ABG, electrolytes, thyroid function, and lipid profile).
  • Diagnostic Polysomnography (PSG):All participants will undergo a full-night, supervised, in-laboratory diagnostic PSG at the Sleep Medicine Unit. Physiological parameters will be continuously monitored to score sleep stages and respiratory events, allowing researchers to accurately classify OSA severity based on the Apnea-Hypopnea Index (AHI).
  • Cognitive Function Assessment: Within 10 days of the diagnostic PSG, participants will complete a computerized neurocognitive test battery using the Psychology Experiment Building Language (PEBL) software. The assessment will evaluate specific cognitive domains using the following tools:
  • Attention: Assessed via a 10-Minute Psychomotor Vigilance Task (PVT) for sustained attention, and a Four-choice Test for selective attention.
  • Memory: Assessed via a Memory Span Test targeting working memory, short-term memory, and visual processing.
  • Executive Function: Assessed via the Wisconsin's Card Sorting Test to evaluate mental flexibility, problem-solving, and abstraction-reasoning.
  • Quality of Life and Psychological Assessment: Participants will complete standardized questionnaires to evaluate their overall well-being and mood. These include the Short Form-36 Health Survey (SF-36) for general QoL, the Calgary Sleep Apnea Quality of Life Index (SAQLI) for disease-specific QoL, and the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) to explore the potential impact of depressive symptoms on cognitive function and QoL.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Observational

Enrollment (Estimated)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
86

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Adult
  • Older Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

N/A

Sampling Method

Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

The study population comprises two groups: an adult patient group and a healthy control group. The patient group includes individuals over 18 years of age who meet the AASM diagnostic criteria for Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) and are attending the Sleep Medicine Unit at Assiut University Hospital for diagnostic polysomnography. The control group consists of healthy community members related to the patients. These controls are matched for age, sex, education level, social status, and comorbidities, and must have a low risk of undiagnosed OSA as verified by the STOP-BANG questionnaire.

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Patients Group: Age > 18 years.
  • Patients Group: Meeting the AASM diagnostic criteria for OSA.
  • Control Group: Age and sex-matched community members related to the patients.
  • Control Group: Education level, social status, and comorbidity-matched people.

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Patients Group: OSA patients who are compliant on PAP therapy (> 4 hours, > 5 nights/week) for ≥ 6 months.
  • Patients Group: Inability to comprehend and/or co-operate with the instructions provided by the investigators during neurocognitive function assessment.
  • Patients Group: History of neurological comorbidities with potential cognitive impairment (previous cerebrovascular stroke, dementia).
  • Patients Group: Patients who are maintained on medications that potentially impair cognitive performance (histamine receptor antagonist, antipsychotic, antidepressant, or mood stabilizer drugs).
  • Patients Group: Use of alcohol, or illicit drugs that interfere with cognitive function (cannabis, opioids, amphetamine or equivalents).
  • Control Group: Intermediate or high-risk of having undiagnosed OSA as assessed by the STOP-BANG questionnaire.

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

Cohorts and Interventions

Group / Cohort

Group / Cohort

A group or subgroup of participants in an observational study that is assessed for biomedical or health outcomes.
Patients Group (OSA)
Patients aged > 18 years meeting the AASM diagnostic criteria for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) who are attending the Sleep Medicine Unit for diagnostic polysomnography (PSG).
Control Group
Healthy community members matched to the patient group by age, sex, education level, social status, and comorbidities, who do not have an intermediate or high risk of undiagnosed OSA as assessed by the STOP-BANG questionnaire.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Time on the Psychomotor Vigilance Task (PVT)
Time Frame: Within 10 days following the diagnostic polysomnography (PSG)
The mean reaction time, reported in milliseconds, for the total number of trials over the 10-minute Psychomotor Vigilance Task (PVT) to evaluate sustained attention
Within 10 days following the diagnostic polysomnography (PSG)

Secondary Outcome Measures

Secondary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, a planned outcome measure that is not as important as the primary outcome measure for evaluating the effect of an intervention but is still of interest. Most clinical studies have more than one secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Working Memory Assessed via Memory Span Test
Time Frame: Within 10 days following the diagnostic polysomnography (PSG)
The memory span, measured in seconds, evaluated using the computerized Memory Span Test to assess working memory, short-term memory, and visual processing
Within 10 days following the diagnostic polysomnography (PSG)

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
Assiut University

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Estimated)

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
August 1, 2026

Primary Completion (Estimated)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
August 1, 2027

Study Completion (Estimated)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
September 1, 2027

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
June 25, 2026

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
June 25, 2026

First Posted (Actual)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
July 1, 2026

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
July 1, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
June 25, 2026

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
June 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • Cognition and QoL in OSA

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

Cookie Settings

We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. For more details carefully read our Privacy and Cookies Policy. ...>>>You can change your preferences or withdraw your consent at any time by deleting the cookies from your website or computer as described in the policy. Please accept it and choose your preferences by ticking the corresponding boxes in the "Manage Settings" section below. Please carefully read our Terms of Service before you proceed with using any part of this website.
«Manage Settings