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Correlation between nocturnal intermittent hypoxemia and mild cognitive impairment in the older adult and the role of BDNF Val66Met polymorphism: a hospital-based cross-sectional study

  • Neurology • Original Article
  • Published:
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Abstract

Purpose

To explore the prevalence of nocturnal intermittent hypoxemia (NIH) in a tertiary hospital geriatric department and the relationship between NIH and mild cognitive impairment (MCI) in older adults, and to examine the role of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) Val66Met polymorphism.

Methods

Older adults aged ≥ 60 were enrolled. NIH and cognitive assessments were conducted. BDNF concentrations and BDNF Val66Met polymorphism were detected for a preliminary exploration of the possible mechanism of the process.

Results

Of 325 older adults enrolled, 157 (48%) had NIH and were further divided into mild, moderate, and severe NIH groups according to their oxygen desaturation of ≥ 4% per hour of sleep (ODI4). MCI detection rate in the four groups gradually increased, and the differences were statistically significant (chi-square = 4.457, P = 0.035). ODI4 was negatively correlated with MoCA score in all participants (r =  − 0.115, P = 0.039) and patients with NIH (r =  − 0.199, P = 0.012). After adjusting for sex, age, and cardiovascular risk factors, NIH and MCI remained independently associated (OR = 3.13, 95% CI 1.03–9.53, P = 0.045). BDNF levels were positively correlated with MoCA score (r = 0.169, P = 0.028) and negatively correlated with nocturnal average oxygen saturation in patients with NIH (r =  − 0.288, P = 0.008). Older adults with different BDNF Val66Met genotypes did not show significant differences in MCI rate and BDNF levels (P > 0.05).

Conclusion

The older adults with NIH have a higher MCI detection rate. BDNF levels may be a potential biomarker for cognitive dysfunction in patients with NIH.

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Data availability

All data generated or analyzed during this study are included in this published article.

Abbreviations

NIH:

Nocturnal intermittent hypoxemia

MCI:

Mild cognitive impairment

BDNF:

Brain-derived neurotrophic factor

ODI4:

Oxygen desaturation of ≥ 4% per hour of sleep

ADL:

Activities of daily living scale

MoCA:

Montreal Cognitive Assessment

GAD-7:

Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale-7

PHQ-9:

Patient Health Questionnaire-9

PSG:

Polysomnography

CI:

Confidence interval

SNP:

Single-nucleotide polymorphism

AHI:

Apnea-hypopnea index

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Acknowledgements

The authors thank Jiaojiao Li, Chenzhao Zhao, and Min Zhang for their work in cognitive evaluation.

Funding

This work was supported by funding from the Beijing Municipal Science and Technology Committee (D171100008217005).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Geriatrics, Peking University People’s Hospital, No. 11 Xizhimen South Street, Xicheng District, 100044, Beijing, People’s Republic of China

    L. H. Deng, Q. Xue, J. Jiang, L. X. Chen & J. T. Wang

  2. Peking University Health Science Center, Beijing, China

    J. X. Geng

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Contributions

DLH, WJT, and CLX devised and designed the study and contributed to the analyses. DLH, GJX, XQ, and JJ collected and analyzed data. DLH and WJT wrote the initial draft of the manuscript and revised it. All authors have read and approved the manuscript.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to J. T. Wang.

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Ethics approval and consent to participate

The study was approved by the ethical committee of the Peking University People’s Hospital, and all participants provided written informed consent. The study followed the guidelines of the Declaration of Helsinki.

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The authors declare no competing interests.

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Deng, L.H., Geng, J.X., Xue, Q. et al. Correlation between nocturnal intermittent hypoxemia and mild cognitive impairment in the older adult and the role of BDNF Val66Met polymorphism: a hospital-based cross-sectional study. Sleep Breath 27, 1945–1952 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11325-022-02772-2

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