Obstructive Sleep Apnea and Cognitive Performance in American Indians

Status: Current

This is one of the first studies to estimate cross-sectional and longitudinal associations between obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and cognitive performance in American Indian people. It uses data from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance Survey (BRFSS), the Sleep Heart Health Study (SHHS), and the Cerebrovascular Disease and its Consequences in American Indians (CDCAI) study. By capitalizing on the strength of nationally representative data from BRFSS, our study will improve the scientific rigor of OSA research and clarify the extent to which OSA and other sleep health indicators are associated with cognitive performance in American Indian and Alaska Native people, vis-à-vis non-Hispanic White, non-Hispanic Black, non-Hispanic Asian, non-Hispanic Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, and Hispanic people. By leveraging the strengths of longitudinal data from SHHS and CDCAI, we will determine the extent to which OSA in mid and late life might be associated with cognitive impairment in late life among American Indian people. If we find an association, our results will contribute to research in Native health and Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias, and encourage future interventions.

Principal Investigator(s)

• Anna Zamora-Kapoor, PhD

Team Member(s)

• Luciana E. Hebert, PhD
  Biostatistician

Heath Research Initiatives

• American Indian and Alaska Native

Focus Areas

• Alzheimer's disease
• Health disparities
• Obstructive sleep apnea
• Sleep health