Sleep spindle activity correlates with implicit statistical learning consolidation in untreated obstructive sleep apnea patients.

Objective/background: The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between overnight consolidation of implicit statistical learning with spindle frequency EEG activity and slow frequency delta power during non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep in obstructive sleep apnea (OSA).

Patients/methods: Forty-seven OSA participants completed the experiment. Prior to sleep, participants performed a reaction time cover task containing hidden patterns of pictures, about which participants were not informed.