Sleep-disordered breathing in spinal muscular atrophy types 1 and 2.
OBJECTIVE
Our aim was to assess the respiratory pattern during sleep in patients affected by spinal muscular atrophy types 1 and 2 and to compare their apnea-hypopnea indices with those of controls.


METHODS
All consecutively referred patients underwent polysomnography. Sleep stages were defined as either wake, quiet sleep (QS), or active sleep (AS). As measures of thoracoabdominal coordination, we measured: phase angle during QS and AS (Ph Angle QS and AS), phase relation during inspiration and expiration during QS and AS: (Ph RIB QS, Ph RIB AS, Ph REB QS; Ph REB AS) and the apnea-hypopnea index.


RESULTS
The 14 consecutively referred infants and small children (age, 11.7 +/- 11.4 mos) showed a higher apnea-hypopnea index (P < 0.001), Ph Angle QS (P < 0.001), Ph Angle AS (P < 0.001), Ph RIB QS (P < 0.001), Ph RIB AS (P < 0.001), Ph REB QS (P < 0.001), and Ph REB AS (P < 0.001) compared with 28 healthy controls (age, 10.1 +/- 8.9 mos).


CONCLUSIONS
Patients affected by types 1 and 2 spinal muscular atrophy had significantly higher apnea-hypopnea indices than controls. Thoracoabdominal asynchrony was present during the inspiratory and expiratory phases in both quiet and active sleep. Measures of thoracoabdominal coordination may be useful for the evaluation and monitoring of therapeutic interventions for these patients.
Testa
Maria Beatrice Chiarini
MB
Respiratory Unit, Bambino Gesù Children Hospital, Research Institute, Rome, Italy.
Pavone
Martino
M
Bertini
Enrico
E
Petrone
Albino
A
Pagani
Marco
M
Cutrera
Renato
R
D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D010108:Oxyhemoglobins / Q000032:analysis; D017286:Polysomnography; D015656:Respiratory Mechanics / Q000502:physiology; D012132:Respiratory Muscles / Q000503:physiopathology; D012891:Sleep Apnea Syndromes / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D014897:Spinal Muscular Atrophies of Childhood / Q000150:complications* / Q000503:physiopathology
D010108:Oxyhemoglobins