The pathophysiology of obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) is complex and incompletely understood. A narrowed upper airway is very common among OSA patients, and is usually in adults due to nonspecific factors such as fat deposition in the neck, or abnormal bony morphology of the upper airway. Functional impairment of the upper airway dilating muscles is particularly important in the development of ...

918 Pharyngeal Muscles during Sleep (Strohl, Olson) W hile it is known that neural activation of pharyngeal muscle exhibits respiratory periodicity and is an integral part of the respiratory control system,’ the mechanical consequences of neuromuscular activity in upper airway muscles are not well understood. Clinical and physiologic studies of Remmers et al,2 Brouillete and Thach,3 and others4...

OBJECTIVES/HYPOTHESIS Drug-induced sleep endoscopy (DISE) is used to determine surgical therapy for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA); however, the effects of anesthesia on the upper airway are poorly understood. Our aim was to systematically review existing literature on the effects of anesthetic agents on the upper airway. DATA SOURCES PubMed, CINAHL, EBM reviews and Scopus (all indexed years)....

The cervical sympathetic trunks innervate the carotid bodies, carotid baroreceptors, thyroid gland and the upper airway mucosa, structures which can influence breathing and upper airway resistance. However, their role in the control of ventilation and upper airway patency is poorly understood. A constant airflow was applied to the upper airway through a high-cervical tracheostomy in anaesthetiz...

A randomized, controlled study of a mandibular advancement splint for obstructive sleep apnea. Efficacy of positive airway pressure and oral appliance in mild to moderate obstructive sleep apnea. advancement devices in 630 men and women with obstructive sleep apnea and snoring: tolerability and predictors of treatment success. Assessment of upper airway dynamics in awake sleep apnea patients wi...

The upper airway resistance syndrome (UARS) is a recently described form of sleep-disordered breathing in which repetitive increases in resistance to airflow within the upper airway lead to brief arousals and daytime somnolence. This review will first describe the chronological progression of our understanding of UARS within the broader context of sleep-disordered breathing. The primary symptom...

Obstructive sleep apnea syndrome has been recognized as a major public health problem. Both its cardiovascular and metabolic comorbidities and symptoms motivate for an accurate diagnosis and appropriate treatment. The main stimulus associated with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and explaining deleterious consequences is intermittent hypoxia. The upper airway resistance syndrome (UARS) has been d...