Individuals who experience cognitive difficulties could have a multitude of medical issues that need to be addressed. A new study has found that individuals with an obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) could face cognitive challenges brought on by structural deficits in gray matter, which is caused by oxygen deprivation that is a result of OSA.

The study, published in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, found that patients who suffered from OSA had side effects such as memory, attention and executive function impairments. Researchers then treated these individuals with continuous positive airway pressure and found that the damages were able to be reversed.

"OSA patients demonstrate several neuropsychological impairments, but current knowledge of the brain structures affected by OSA is limited. This study provides the first evidence that structural brain abnormalities exist in regions susceptible to hypoxemia, and they can change with treatment," said Dr. Vincenza Castronovo, clinical psychologist at the Sleep Disorders Center, Vita-Salute San Raffaele University and San Raffaele Scientific Institute in Milan, Italy.

Researchers said that the next phase of the study will examine patients who suffer from brain damage and how they may be able to recover.