While OSA can occur in men and women of any age, it is commonly found in middle-aged, overweight men. Symptoms of the disorder include snoring, excessive daytime sleepiness, un-refreshing sleep, unintentionally falling asleep and insomnia. People with untreated OSA also often experience decreased awareness during the day and lower productivity.

Web-MD reports that results of the study show that patients with OSA had reductions in gray matter volume and a decrease in neuropscyhologic performance. After receiving CPAP therapy for three-months, these patients had a significant increase in both gray matter volume and great improvement in their scores on neuropsychologic testing.

No further improvement in gray matter volume was seen when patients were re-evaluated after one year of receiving CPAP therapy.

Findings of this study highlight the importance of adherence to CPAP therapy, as use results in significant improvements in patients’ overall well-being and contributes to the restoration of brain areas that are adversely affected by OSA.

The most common signs or symptoms of Sleep Apnea are snoring and excessive daytime sleepiness.

I reccomend that you find a comprehensive sleep center that will take care of all your problems, big and small.  Also see if there are any CPAP support groups in your area. We run our own, but there is a national organization, AWAKE, that runs support groups all over the country. Find one near you at:  http://www.sleepapnea.org/awake/index.html