Licensed to practice cardiology in California and Missouri, Dr. Sanjiv Narayan is the founder of a technology development firm that he sold to Abbott Laboratories. In acquiring the startup, Abbott gained leading-edge atrial fibrillation treatment modalities with the potential to improve care for patients worldwide. Dr. Sanjiv Narayan has a strong interest in diverse areas of medicine, including sleep apnea.
A condition related to relaxation of the throat muscles during the night, which is also related to atrial fibrillation, sleep apnea causes airway obstruction and brief halts to breathing. Once the brain becomes aware of danger, it sends out signals that wake up the person, and the throat muscles contract and temporarily resolve the problem. Such interruptions can occur as many as 30 times a night, leading to chronic sleep issues.
While little research has been undertaken on sleep apnea and the developing brain, the condition affects approximately 5 percent of children. A recent study pairing University of Chicago and University of California research teams and using brain scan analysis suggests that sleep apnea in children may result in gray matter losses spanning diverse regions of the brain. The next step is described as being one of exploring how these losses may be related to cognitive defects.
