Autonomic impairment in sleep-related breathing disorders

Abstract

Patients with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome present with snoring, daytime sleepiness and morning headache and show impaired autonomic nervous sysytem activity during sleep, while central sleep apnea syndrome including Cheyne-Stokes respiration is associated with congestive heart failure and the brain lesions involving autonomic controls. Sleep-related breathing disorders are commonly observed in patients with Parkinson’s disease and related disorders showing autonomic symptoms. In this article, I review autonomic impairments in sleep-related breathing disorders with stroke and Parkinson’s disease and related disorders and those without neurological disorders.