News Briefs – DECEMBER 2022
by INELDA
Linking Sleep Apnea and Dementia
A study recently covered in Medical News Today concluded that screening for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) in middle-aged and older individuals could lead to reducing Alzheimer’s risk. While a link between sleep apnea and dementia had previously been unknown, the research showed that OSA disrupted blood oxygen levels and presented characteristics of Alzheimer’s in models of mice. Restoring blood oxygen levels during sleep prevented these signs of dementia.
Canada, MAiD, and Addition of Mental Health
Debates on Medical Aid in Dying (MAiD) have heated up in Canada with the inclusion of mental health conditions added to a 2016 bill this past spring. This clause allows people whose sole underlying medical condition is mental illness to be eligible for MAiD. As the time for implementation grows closer (March 2023), opinions have become stronger on both sides of the issues. Cancer is the main reason people seek out this option in Canada, which is considered to have the world’s most liberal laws on MAiD.
Lucid Dying Reported by CPR Recipients
Researchers at NYU Grossman School of Medicine studied 567 individuals whose heart had stopped while hospitalized and received CPR. The three-year study reported that 1 in 5 survivors reported having “unique lucid experiences, including a perception of separation from the body, observing events without pain or distress, and a meaningful evaluation of life, including of their actions, intentions and thoughts toward others.” A key finding was the discovery that spikes in brain activity occur up to an hour into CPR; these spikes normally occur when people are conscious and performing higher mental function. Lead author and intensive care physician Sam Parnia, MD, PhD, states, “Our results offer evidence that while on the brink of death and in a coma, people undergo a unique inner conscious experience, including awareness without distress.”