How severe obstructive sleep apnea affects the brain's processing of sounds and attention
Impact of Severe Obstructive Sleep Apnea-Hypopnea Syndrome on Auditory-Cognitive Processing
This project will test whether severe obstructive sleep apnea in adults aged 20–60 changes how the brain automatically detects sound changes and pays attention to important sounds using EEG, sleep testing, and cognitive/hearing checks.
Quick facts
| Study type | Observational |
|---|---|
| Enrollment | 100 (estimated) |
| Ages | 20 Years to 60 Years |
| Sex | All |
| Sponsor | Peking University First Hospital Academic / other |
| Locations | 1 site (Beijing, Beijing Municipality) |
| Trial ID | NCT07039500 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
What this trial studies
This observational study will compare 50 adults with PSG-confirmed severe OSAHS to 50 age- and sex-matched healthy controls. Participants will undergo a one-night polysomnography, cognitive screening (MoCA), standard hearing checks, and a 1.5–2 hour EEG session using passive and active oddball sound tasks. The passive task measures automatic sound-change detection while the active task measures attention to rare sounds, with EEG event-related potentials analyzed for auditory-cognitive markers. Researchers aim to identify EEG signatures that differ between groups and could signal early hearing-related cognitive problems in OSAHS.
Who should consider this trial
Good fit: Adults aged 20–60 with normal hearing and MoCA ≥26 who are willing to complete EEG testing, with the OSAHS group requiring PSG-confirmed severe OSAHS (AHI >30) and controls reporting no snoring or sleep disorder history.
Not a fit: People with hearing loss, cognitive impairment, active psychiatric or neurologic disorders, systemic inflammatory disease, pregnancy, chronic steroid use, or those with mild/moderate OSAHS are not eligible and are unlikely to benefit from this protocol.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the work could enable earlier detection of hearing-related cognitive changes in people with severe OSAHS and support earlier treatment to protect cognition.
How similar studies have performed: Previous studies have linked OSA to cognitive and EEG changes, but using oddball ERP paradigms to detect early auditory-cognitive deficits in severe OSAHS is relatively novel and not yet widely validated.
Eligibility criteria
Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion Criteria: All Participants: * Aged 20-60 years * Normal hearing (PTA ≤25 dB HL at 0.5,1,2,4 kHz; Type A tympanogram) * MoCA score ≥26 * Willing to complete EEG testing OSAHS Group Additional: \- PSG-confirmed severe OSAHS (AHI \>30 events/hour) Control Group Additional: * Self-reported absence of snoring/sleep disorders * No prior OSAHS diagnosis Exclusion Criteria: All Participants: * History of: * Schizophrenia, epilepsy, Parkinson's, TBI, or language disorders * Middle/inner ear diseases (otitis media, acoustic neuroma, etc.) * Cognitive impairment or depression/anxiety disorders * Chronic steroid use * Systemic inflammatory diseases or malignancies * Pregnancy or suspected pregnancy (self-reported)
Where this trial is running
Beijing, Beijing Municipality
- Peking University First Hospital — Beijing, Beijing Municipality, China (Recruiting)
Study contacts
- Study coordinator: Caifeng Xia, M.D.
- Email: xiacf@pku.edu.cn
- Phone: +8618811173785
How to participate
- Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
- Visit the official trial page on ClinicalTrials.gov for the most current contact information and recruitment status.
- Contact the listed study coordinator or principal investigator to request pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.