Quantitative MRI Mapping of Upper Airway Anatomy and Cerebral Oxygen Metabolism with Concurrent EEG in OSA Patients During Sleep in Scanner

Motivation: Patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) are at increased risk for various disorders, thought to be caused by apnea related disturbances in cerebral oxygen metabolism (CMRO2). Goal(s): To evaluate changes in CMRO2 and upper airway architecture during sleep and in response to apneas in a sample of OSA patients and healthy subjects. Approach: CMRO2 and upper airway architecture are evaluated during sleep using a custom MRI sequence, while sleep stage was evaluated by means of concurrently recorded EEG. Results: OSA-patients experienced disturbances in CMRO2 during sleep including a larger sleep-stage dependent decrease in CMRO2 over healthy controls. Impact: Seeing how the upper airway becomes obstructed during sleep may be valuable for surgical treatment planning. Further, identification of the neurometabolic consequences of OSA can enhance our basic understanding of neuro-and cardiovascular risk.