Treating sleep apnea to slow memory loss and lower Alzheimer's risk
Official title: Sleep apnea treatment and risk for cognitive decline and Alzheimers disease
Funded at University of Florida · NIH-11143195 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project looks at whether treating obstructive sleep apnea with CPAP helps older adults preserve thinking and memory and lower their risk of Alzheimer's disease.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Florida NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Gainesville, United States) |
| Project start | August 1, 2022 |
| Project end | July 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $609,341 |
| NIH project number | 5R01AG079391-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11143195 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are older adults with a diagnosis of obstructive sleep apnea—especially those using or considering CPAP treatment—who are interested in how sleep care might affect memory and dementia risk.
✕Less likely to help
People without sleep apnea, younger adults, or those whose cognitive decline is driven by non-Alzheimer causes are unlikely to benefit directly from this research.
What this research studies
Researchers analyze long-term data from two nationally representative U.S. cohorts (the Health and Retirement Study and NHATS) covering up to 14 years to see how CPAP use relates to changes in cognition. They compare people diagnosed with OSA who used CPAP to those who did not, using repeated performance-based cognitive tests to track memory and thinking over time. The team will examine whether benefits differ in higher-risk groups such as older adults, people with cardiovascular disease, and racial/ethnic minority groups to identify who gains most. Because this is an observational analysis of existing cohort data, the work focuses on patterns in real-world treatment and long-term outcomes rather than a new clinical trial.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If results show CPAP use is linked to slower cognitive decline, that could support more screening and treatment of sleep apnea to help prevent or delay Alzheimer's in older adults.
How similar studies have gone: Previous small trials and observational studies have suggested links between OSA treatment and cognitive outcomes but findings are mixed, so this larger long-term analysis aims to clarify the evidence.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Florida
Gainesville, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Kaufmann, Christopher Norfleet — University of Florida
- Study coordinator: Kaufmann, Christopher Norfleet
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.