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Apnea may force brain to learn more effective respiration control

Written by: David Castillo on March 24th, 2011

Apnea may force brain to learn more effective respiration control | read this item

“Mind over matter” is what a lot of people say when confronted with challenges. It may now prove true with a recent study conducted by University of Toronto researchers on sleep disorders. The study looks at obstructive sleep apnea which has been bothering millions of people all over the world.

Scientists are saying that the plus side of OSA is that it teaches the brain on how to breathe more efficiently. Since it obstructs a person’s air passage during sleep, researchers say that it may actually trigger learning by the brain of a more effective way of respiratory control.

The researchers believe that the negative effects caused by OSA are forcing patients’ brains into learning how to control breathing more effectively in order to curb loss of oxygen. They point out to a substance produced by the brain, noradrenaline to be exact, which is released whenever the brain detects breath obstruction during sleep.

Source: Huffington Post