New research has stumbled across a finding that links sleep apnea to depression, and suggests the former may be one reason that depression treatments fail. The initial purpose of a study at Augusta University in the U.S. was to discern whether treating patients’ insomnia in addition to their depression reduced suicidal thoughts. Patients with sleep apnea were excluded from the study. But when the 125 people enrolled were actually tested with a sleep study at home or in a sleep centre, investigators still found the condition in 17 — it was undiagnosed sleep apnea. "We were completely caught by surprise that people did not fit the picture of what obstructive sleep apnea is supposed to look like," said study lead and Chair of the Department of Psychiatry and Health Behavior at the Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University, Dr. William V. McCall. Around 20–30 percent of people with […]