Solriamfetol May Reduce Cognitive Impairment in OSA Patients
In an observational study, solriamfetol was found to reduce cognitive impairment associated with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), independently of improvements in excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS). Findings from the SURWEY study were presented via poster at the 2025 Psych Congress in San Diego, CA.
Solriamfetol is a dopamine-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor and TAAR1/5H1A agonist approved to treat EDS associated with narcolepsy or OSA. For the real-world retrospective, observational study, researchers assessed neuropsychological outcomes in patients being treated with solriamfetol for EDS associated with OSA using data from prescribing physicians.
To measure outcomes, a variety of neuropsychological assessments were performed in a subgroup of patients at baseline and 3 months after starting solriamfetol. Testing included the Test of Attentional Performance (TAP) subtest alertness, the Regensburger Word Fluency Test, the Wechsler Memory Scale subtest visual reproduction, the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS-IV) subtest coding, and the British Columbia Cognitive Complaints Inventory (BC-CCI).
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Before starting solriamfetol, participants (n=46) displayed impaired alertness on the TAP (mean±SD 268.2±21.8 ms with warning signal, 270.2±21.9 ms without), impaired cognitive function on the BC-CCI (8.6±2.2), and reduced psychomotor and visual processing speed on the WAIS-IV coding subtest (7.1±1.5). No impairments in word fluence or memory were observed.
After treatment with solriamfetol, TAP scored improved by a mean 11.4% (237.7±21.4 ms with warning; 239.5±21.3 ms without, p < 0.01 for both). BC-CCI scores improved by a mean 40.8% (5.1±3.1, p < 0.01). WAIS-IV coding scored improved by 30.6% (9.3±1.8, p < 0.01). Epworth Sleepiness Scale scores improved by 4.7±2.7 (p < 0.01). Change in EDS was not associated with cognitive improvement (|r|=0.16, p=0.3).
This study was sponsored by Axsome Therapeutics, Inc., and Pharmanovia.
Reference
J Levine, at al. Effects of solriamfetol on neuropsychological outcomes in patients with obstructive sleep apnea in the real-world SURWEY study. Poster presented at Psych Congress; September 17-21, 2025; San Diego, California.
