title: Obstructive sleep apnea and other sleep-related syndromes.
abstract: Obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) is a common disorder characterized by repetitive episodes of breathing cessation due to complete or partial collapse of the upper airway therefore affecting ventilation. It is quite common, with a prevalence of about 2-4%, has a strong genetic component, and creates a proinflammatory state with elevated TNFα and other cytokines. If untreated, OSA can lead to significant neurological problems that include stroke, cognitive decline, depression, headaches, peripheral neuropathy, and nonarteritic ischemic optic neuropathy (NAION). Treatment reverses some of these neurological problems. Treatment includes continuous positive airway pressure and its variants, oral appliances, weight loss, upper airway surgery, and rarely maxillofacial procedures. Other sleep breathing disorders such as hypoventilation, central sleep apnea, complex sleep apnea, and Cheyne-Stokes respiration are less common and are sometimes associated with neuromuscular disorders causing diaphragmatic paralysis, but can also be seen in opiate exposure and severe obesity.
authors.affiliation: Sleep Medicine Centre, Medical Faculty of Lisbon, Lisbon, Portugal. Electronic address: teresapaiva@netcabo.pt.
authors.forename: Teresa
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Paiva
authors.affiliation: Circadian Rhythms and Sleep Research Laboratory, Department of Neurology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA.
authors.forename: Hrayr
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Attarian
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D006985:Hyperventilation / Q000150:complications / Q000235:genetics; D009422:Nervous System Diseases / Q000209:etiology; D020182:Sleep Apnea, Central / Q000235:genetics; D020181:Sleep Apnea, Obstructive / Q000150:complications / Q000235:genetics
keywords: Obstructive sleep apnea; central sleep apnea; cognition; comorbidities; health risks; hypoventilation syndromes