Central sleep apnea and partial obstruction of the upper airway.
Seven men with central sleep apnea underwent polygraphic monitoring during sleep for at least 3 nights, in combination with other tests. Five patients had complaints of disturbed sleep; the other 2 were selected because they had central sleep apnea caused by bilateral brainstem lesions. The first 5 had a small upper airway, documented by cephalometric roentgenograms. Nasal continuous positive airway pressure, administered to improve the suspected respiratory load during sleep, eliminated the central sleep apnea in the first 5 patients but had, as expected, no positive effect on the central apnea of the 2 patients with brainstem lesions.
Guilleminault
C
C
Quera-Salvá
M A
MA
Nino-Murcia
G
G
Partinen
M
M
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000402:Airway Obstruction / Q000175:diagnosis*; D004569:Electroencephalography; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011175:Positive-Pressure Respiration; D012891:Sleep Apnea Syndromes / Q000175:diagnosis*; D012894:Sleep Stages