We hypothesized that reductions in arterial PCO2 (PaCO2) below the apnea threshold play a key role in the pathogenesis of idiopathic central sleep apnea syndrome (ICSAS). If so, we reasoned that raising PaCO2 would abolish apneas in these patients. Accordingly, patients with ICSAS were studied overnight on four occasions during which the fraction of end-tidal CO2 and transcutaneous PCO2 were me...

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Epidemiological data link heavy snoring to an increased risk for stroke, an association often ascribed to hypertension and/or sleep apnea. The aim of this study was to determine whether obstructive hypopneas, central apneas, or obstructive apneas during sleep alter blood flow of the middle cerebral artery (MCA). METHODS Doppler sonography of the MCA was performed in con...

The effects of periodic obstructive apneas on systemic and myocardial hemodynamics were studied in nine preinstrumented sedated pigs under four conditions: breathing room air (RA), breathing 100% O2, breathing RA after critical coronary stenosis (CS) of the left anterior descending coronary artery, and breathing RA after autonomic blockade with hexamethonium (Hex). Apneas with RA increased mean...

OBJECTIVE To compare the influence of 2 ventilation strategies on the occurrence of central apneas. METHODS This was a prospective, comparative, crossover study with 14 unsedated subjects undergoing weaning from mechanical ventilation in the medical ICU of Hôpital du Sacré-Cœur, Montréal, Québec, Canada. The subjects were ventilated alternately in neurally adjusted ventilatory assist (NAVA) a...

Background and Purpose—Epidemiological data link heavy snoring to an increased risk for stroke, an association often ascribed to hypertension and/or sleep apnea. The aim of this study was to determine whether obstructive hypopneas, central apneas, or obstructive apneas during sleep alter blood flow of the middle cerebral artery (MCA). Methods—Doppler sonography of the MCA was performed in conju...

Our laboratory previously reported that active glottal closure was present in 90% of spontaneous central apneas in premature lambs while maintaining a high-apneic lung volume (Renolleau S, Letourneau P, Niyonsenga T, and Praud JP. Am J Respir Crit Care Med 159: 1396-1404, 1999.) The present study aimed at testing whether this mechanism limits postapnea oxygen desaturation. Four premature lambs ...

This study addressed the effects of apnea in air and apnea with face immersion in cold water (10 degrees C) on the diving response and arterial oxygen saturation during dynamic exercise. Eight trained breath-hold divers performed steady-state exercise on a cycle ergometer at 100 W. During exercise, each subject performed 30-s apneas in air and 30-s apneas with face immersion. The heart rate and...

We tested the hypotheses that active upper airway closure during induced central apneas in nonsedated lambs 1). is complete and occurs at the laryngeal level and 2). is not due to stimulation of the superior laryngeal nerves (SLN). Five newborn lambs were surgically instrumented to record thyroarytenoid (TA) muscle (glottal constrictor) electromyographic (EMG) activity with supra- and subglotta...

The pulmonary hemodynamic consequences of obstructive sleep apneas have been investigated by several groups during the last 30 years. The earlier data have been obtained by measuring the intravascular pulmonary arterial pressure (PAP) and have shown a rise of PAP during apneas, the highest PAP being observed at the end of apneas. Actually, during obstructive apneas the only reliable measurement...

OBJECTIVE To examine the effect of oxygen on apneas and sleep quality in patients with frequent central apneas during sleep. DESIGN/SUBJECTS Prospective intervention study of 20 consecutive patients with predominant central apnea identified from 570 patients referred for suspected sleep apnea syndrome. Sixteen patients had congestive heart failure and seven of them had a previous stroke. Thre...