Affiliations: [a]
Department of Clinical Neurosciences, “Vita-Salute” San Raffaele University, Milan, Italy
| [b]
IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Neurology-Sleep Disorder Center, Milan, Italy
| [c]
John Hunter Hospital and The University of Newcastle, Newcastle, Australia
| [d]
Institute of Molecular Bioimaging and Physiology, National Research Council, Catanzaro, Italy
Correspondence:
[*]
Correspondence to: Luigi Ferini-Strambi, MD, “Vita-Salute” San Raffaele University, Milan, Italy. Tel.: +39 0226433363; Fax: +39 0226433394; E-mail: ferinistrambi.luigi@hsr.it.
Abstract: Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and Alzheimer’s disease (AD) are two common chronic diseases with a well-documented association. Whether the association is causal has been highlighted by recent evidence reporting a neurobiological link between these disorders. This narrative review discusses the brain regions and networks involved in OSA as potential vulnerable areas for the development of AD neuropathology with a particular focus on gender-related implications. Using a neuroimaging perspective supported by neuropathological investigations, we provide a new model of neurodegeneration common to OSA and AD, that we have called OSA-AD neurodegeneration in order to decode the causal links between these two chronic conditions.
