RT Journal Article
T1 Astrocytes at the crossroads of obstructive sleep apnea and Alzheimer's disease: from oxygen sensing to neurodegeneration
A1 Cabot, J.
A1 Soriano, J.B.
A1 Alonso-Fernández, A.
A1 Rodríguez, J.J.
A1 Merino Martín, José Joaquín
A1 Cànaves-Gómez, L.
A1 Gayà-Caro, N.
A1 Busquets, X.
AB Purpose: Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a highly prevalent sleep-related breathing disorder characterized by recurrent episodes of intermittent hypoxia and sleep fragmentation, and it has been increasingly linked to cognitive decline and Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Growing evidence suggests that vascular risk factors and sleep-related breathing disorders such as OSA may contribute to AD disease onset and progression. This review aims to explore astrocytes as a potential mechanistic link between OSA and AD.Methods: A literature search was conducted in the PubMed database using combinations of keywords including “astrocytes,” “obstructive sleep apnea,” “intermittent hypoxia,” “sleep-disordered breathing,” “Alzheimer’s disease,” and “dementia”.. Epidemiological, mechanistic, and clinical studies addressing the interplay between astrocyte function, sleep-disordered breathing, and neurodegeneration were reviewed and synthesized.Results: Astrocytes are increasingly recognized as oxygen-sensing cells capable of responding to fluctuations in oxygen availability. Under conditions of intermittent hypoxia, such as those occurring in OSA, astrocytic responses may become maladaptive, promoting oxidative stress and neuroinflammatory signalling. These processes overlap with key aspects of AD pathophysiology and may contribute to both disease initiation and progression. Although available evidence remains heterogeneous and not fully conclusive, epidemiological studies suggest a bidirectional association between OSA and AD.Conclusions: Glial maladaptation to intermittent hypoxia may represent a critical interface between sleep-disordered breathing and neurodegeneration. Targeting astrocyte-mediated mechanisms could offer new insights into the pathophysiological links between OSA and AD.
PB Springer Nature
YR 2016
FD 2016-03-19
LK https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14352/136760
UL https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14352/136760
LA eng
NO Cabot J, Soriano JB, Alonso-Fernández A, Rodríguez JJ, Merino JJ, Cànaves-Gómez L, Gayà-Caro N, Busquets X. Astrocytes at the crossroads of obstructive sleep apnea and Alzheimer's disease: from oxygen sensing to neurodegeneration. Sleep Breath. 2026 Mar 19;30(2):98. doi: 10.1007/s11325-026-03651-w. PMID: 41855004; PMCID: PMC13002703.
NO Open Access funding provided thanks to the CRUE-CSIC agreement with Springer Nature. This work was funded by the Sociedad Española de Neumología y Cirugía Torácica. SEPAR 1242‐2022. Instituto de Salud Carlos III. Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación. PI23/01833 and Convocatoria Ramon Llull 2025 para la intensificación de la actividad investigadora en el IdISBA. The sponsors has no role in the design or conduct of this research
NO Sociedad Española de Neumología y Cirugía Torácica
NO Instituto de Salud Carlos III
NO Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación (España)
DS Docta Complutense
RD 10 jun 2026