The influence of obstructive sleep apnea and gender on genioglossus activity during rapid eye movement sleep.
BACKGROUND
The mechanisms contributing to worsening of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) during rapid eye movement (REM) sleep have been minimally studied. Reduced upper-airway muscle tone may be an important contributor. Because respiratory events and the associated blood gas changes can influence genioglossus (GG) activity, we compared GG activity between OSA patients and control subjects during REM sleep using continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) to minimize the influences of upper-airway resistance (RUA) and blood gas disturbances on GG activity.


METHODS
Twenty subjects (10 female subjects), 12 healthy individuals, and 8 OSA patients, were studied overnight. Sleep staging, epiglottic pressure, minute ventilation, and GG electromyogram (GGEMG) were recorded. GGEMG was compared between REM sleep with (phasic REM) and without (tonic REM) eye movements, non-REM (NREM) sleep, and wakefulness.


RESULTS
Breathing frequency increased from stable NREM, to tonic REM to phasic REM sleep, whereas tidal volume and GGEMG decreased (ie, peak GGEMG: 3.0 +/- 0.7 vs 1.7 +/- 0.4 vs 1.2 +/- 0.3% max, respectively; p < 0.001). Reductions in GGEMG during REM sleep were not different between OSA patients and control subjects or between genders.


CONCLUSIONS
When RUA and blood gas disturbances are minimized by CPAP, genioglossal activity is reduced in a stepwise manner from stable NREM, to tonic REM to phasic REM sleep to a similar extent in OSA and healthy individuals of both genders. Thus, an inherent abnormality in GG neural control in OSA patients during REM sleep is unlikely to explain the increased upper-airway collapse in this sleep stage. Rather, a generalized reduction in GG activity during REM likely renders individuals who are highly reliant on upper-airway dilator muscles vulnerable to pharyngeal collapse during REM sleep.
Eckert
Danny J
DJ
Brigham and Women's Hospital, Division of Sleep Medicine, Sleep Disorders Program and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA. Electronic address: deckert@rics.bwh.harvard.edu.
Malhotra
Atul
A
Brigham and Women's Hospital, Division of Sleep Medicine, Sleep Disorders Program and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA.
Lo
Yu L
YL
Department of Thoracic Medicine, Chang Gang Memorial Hospital, Chang Gang University College of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan.
White
David P
DP
Brigham and Women's Hospital, Division of Sleep Medicine, Sleep Disorders Program and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA.
Jordan
Amy S
AS
Brigham and Women's Hospital, Division of Sleep Medicine, Sleep Disorders Program and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA.
D000328:Adult; D045422:Continuous Positive Airway Pressure; D004576:Electromyography; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000502:physiology*; D012143:Respiratory Physiological Phenomena; D012737:Sex Factors; D020181:Sleep Apnea, Obstructive / Q000503:physiopathology*; D012895:Sleep, REM / Q000502:physiology*