# Neurocognitive Consequences of Intermittent Hypoxia

> **NIH NIH R01** · UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO · 2022 · $55,437

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY
Sleep apnea is a respiratory disorder that causes chronic intermittent hypoxia throughout the sleep cycle.
Neuroimaging studies indicate that the hippocampus is particularly vulnerable to injury in sleep apnea. In
addition to the involvement of this brain structure with spatial and recognition memory, hippocampal activity is
coupled to and exerts influence on peripheral chemoreflexes and respiratory patterns. Thus, along with its
cognitive effects, the neurophysiological changes in the hippocampus may contribute to the development of
cardiovascular disease, the increased risk for stroke that occur with untreated sleep apnea. As the duration of
untreated sleep apnea persists, the severity of the condition increases, as does the risk of developing
increasingly significant cognitive deficit. We hypothesize that chronic intermittent hypoxia caused by sleep
apnea triggers reactive oxygen species signaling, resulting in duration-dependent changes to hippocampal
neurophysiology and, in turn, causing progressive degradation in hippocampal-based cognition. We test this
hypothesis in a rodent model of sleep apnea in which animals are exposed to different durations of chronic
intermittent hypoxia. We examine the resulting effects on hippocampal neurophysiology and neurogenesis,
focusing on principal neurons involved in learning and memory pathways. In addition to dissecting the role of
reactive oxygen species signaling in cognitive changes, we explore the mechanistic origin of this signaling and
the potential interaction between cardio-respiratory organs (i.e., carotid bodies) and the hippocampus. The
mechanistic insights gained from this work will inform the development of more effective therapies to prevent,
or fully reverse, cognitive decline in a condition that affects the quality of life for many Americans.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10617868
- **Project number:** 3R01NS107421-05S1
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO
- **Principal Investigator:** Alfredo J Garcia
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2022
- **Award amount:** $55,437
- **Award type:** 3
- **Project period:** 2018-05-01 → 2024-04-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10617868

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10617868, Neurocognitive Consequences of Intermittent Hypoxia (3R01NS107421-05S1). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10617868. Licensed CC0.

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