The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says persons with sleep apnea characteristically make periodic gasping or "snorting" noises, during which their sleep is momentarily interrupted.Sleep apnea is commonly treated with positive airway pressure (PAP) therapy.A PAP machine works by gently blowing pressurized air through the airway at a pressure high enough to keep the throat open, acting as a splint of sorts, as the American Sleep Apnea Association explained it.Michigan researchers looked at Medicare patients with sleep apnea who were using positive airway pressure therapy to see if they were less likely to receive a new diagnosis of dementia or mild cognitive impairment over the next three years - and found they were less likely to.