The Brain Can Learn to Overcome Sleep Apnea

Eighteen million Americans suffer from obstructive sleep apnea.

In a study, scientists demonstrated that repeated obstruction of the airways requires release of the brain chemical noradrenaline. The release of this chemical helps the brain learn to breathe more effectively and purposefully.

“What we showed is that repeated disruption of normal lung activity,  what happens during sleep apnea,  triggers a form of learning that helps you breathe better.  This type of brain plasticity could be harnessed to help overcome the breathing insufficiency that typifies sleep apnea” says Dr. John Peever, lead author of the study.

The scientists induced short 15 second apneas in sedated rats by repeatedly restricting airflow into the lungs.  They found repeated apneas caused the brain to progressively trigger more forceful contraction of the respiratory muscles, which caused an increase in breathing.  This increase in breathing lasted for over an hour.

Peever says it seems the brain is using the unwanted side-effects of sleep apnea to help it learn to prevent future apneas by increasing the depth of breathing.

This study also pinpointed the brain chemical that allows this type of plasticity to occur. They found that noradrenaline is required in the case of repeated apneas to cause brain plasticity and enhance breathing.

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