Evidence map›Paper›PMID 36938834›Full record

SynthesisBrain and behavior2023

The relationship between obstructive sleep apnea and circulating tau levels: A meta-analysis.

Zhi-Wei Huang, Hui-Xue Zeng, Ya-Ping Huang, Tie-Zhu Wang, Wen-Sen Huang, Yan-Fei Huang, Li Lin, Hao Li

Open access · goldAbstract readMeta-Analysis
In one paragraph

Synthesis in Brain and behavior, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
5citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
1.2field-weighted citation impact, top 22% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

5 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 7 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Article
  3. Sleep Abnormalities and Risk of Alzheimer's Disease.Current neurology and neuroscience reports · 2025
    Review
  4. Review
  5. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.

Zhi-Wei HuangDepartment of Otolaryngology, Quanzhou First Hospital Affiliated to Fujian Medical University, Quanzhou, Fujian Province, People's Republic of China.
Hui-Xue ZengDepartment of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Zhangzhou Affiliated Hospital of Fujian Medical University, Zhangzhou, Fujian Province, People's Republic of China.
Ya-Ping HuangDepartment of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Zhangzhou Affiliated Hospital of Fujian Medical University, Zhangzhou, Fujian Province, People's Republic of China.
Tie-Zhu WangDepartment of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Zhangzhou Affiliated Hospital of Fujian Medical University, Zhangzhou, Fujian Province, People's Republic of China.
Wen-Sen HuangDepartment of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Zhangzhou Affiliated Hospital of Fujian Medical University, Zhangzhou, Fujian Province, People's Republic of China.
Yan-Fei HuangDepartment of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Zhangzhou Affiliated Hospital of Fujian Medical University, Zhangzhou, Fujian Province, People's Republic of China.
Li LinDepartment of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Zhangzhou Affiliated Hospital of Fujian Medical University, Zhangzhou, Fujian Province, People's Republic of China.
Hao LiDepartment of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Zhangzhou Affiliated Hospital of Fujian Medical University, Zhangzhou, Fujian Province, People's Republic of China.ORCID 0000-0003-0868-9925
Fujian Medical University · CN

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundAlzheimer's disease (AD) is an irreversible, progressive brain disorder that impairs memory, thinking, language, and, eventually, the ability to carry out the simplest of tasks. Tau protein, the major component of neurofibrillary tangles, is considered a key mediator of AD pathogenesis. The association between obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and circulating tau remains unclear. The aim of the present meta-analysis was to evaluate the relationship between OSA and circulating tau via quantitative analysis.

methodsA systematic search of Pubmed, Embase, and Web of Science were performed. The mean values of circulating total tau (T-tau) and phosphorylated tau (P-tau) in OSA and control groups were extracted. Standardized mean difference (SMD) with 95% confidence interval (CI) was calculated by using a random-effect model or fixed-effect model.

resultsA total of seven studies comprising 233 controls and 306 OSA patients were included in this study. The meta-analysis showed that the circulating T-tau level was significantly higher in OSA patients than those in the control group (SMD = 1.319, 95% CI = 0.594 to 2.044, z = 3.56, p < .001). OSA patients also had significantly higher circulating P-tau level than control group (SMD = 0.343, 95% CI = 0.122 to 0.564, z = 3.04, p = .002).

conclusionsThe present meta-analysis demonstrated that both circulating T-tau and P-tau levels were significantly increased in OSA subjects when compared with non-OSA subjects. Larger sample-size studies on the association between OSA and circulating tau are still required to further validate our results.

Indexed as

Sleep Apnea, Obstructivetau ProteinsHumansPhosphorylationMAPT protein, humantau ProteinsAlzheimer's diseasemeta-analysisobstructive sleep apneatau

Identifiers

PMID36938834
PMCPMC10097049
OpenAlexW4327898722

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.