Sleep Apnea Common in Patients With Memory Problems by Angela Mohan on March 1, 2021 at 12:14 PM Obstructive sleep apnea is found to be common in people with cognitive impairment, as per the study that will be presented at the American Academy of Neurology's 73rd Annual Meeting being held virtually April 17 to 22, 2021. Cognitive impairment includes memory and thinking problems that affect concentration, decision making and learning new things. The risk of cognitive impairment increases as people age. "Better sleep is beneficial to the brain and can improve cognitive skills. Yet in our study, we found that over half of the people with cognitive impairment had obstructive sleep apnea," said study author Mark I. Boulos, M.D., of the University of Toronto in Canada and member of the American Academy of Neurology.