DEPRESSION AND OBSTRUCTIVE SLEEP APNEA (OSA) (2 CE)

Course overview

This course summarizes important findings in the current literature regarding the association between depression and Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA), and the possible mechanisms by which both disorders interact. Research indicates OSA may affect more than 50% of individuals over the age of 65, significant depressive symptoms may be present in as many as 26% of a community-dwelling population of older adults, and up to 20% of individuals presenting with one of these disorders also have the other. The implications for clinical practice are also discussed. Learning Objectives *Describe the characteristics, symptoms and prevalence of Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA), distinguishing between the definitions of sleep-related decreases (hypopneas) and pauses (apneas) in respiration. *Delineate treatments for OSA includingcontinuous or bilevel positive airway pressure (CPAP/BiPAP), weight loss, dental devices or upper airway surgery and the effects on depressive symptoms. *Differentiate the sleep architectures of depression and OSA, utilizing polysomnographic (PSG) results to underscore the interplay of OSA and depression or depressive symptoms. *Detail the possible mechanisms underlying the association between depression and OSA, including sleep fragmentation and hypoxemia (oxygen desaturation during sleep), the role of serotonin, and shared common risk factors (e.g., obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease). * Specify clinical considerations in the assessment of a depressive syndrome, such as presence of OSA cardinal symptoms: loud snoring and excessive daytime sleepiness, sleep-wake complaints, atypical symptom presentation (especially for women), depressive patients resistant to treatment, shared risk factors and comorbid disorders of OSA