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Central Sleep Apnoea

Central Sleep Apnoea is much less common than obstructive Sleep Apnoea. In both conditions the person stops breathing during sleep. However in central sleep apnoea the stopping breathing is due to malfunctioning of the brain centre's which coordinate breathing effort. In simple terms the "brain does not tell the breathing muscles to work". In obstructive sleep apnoea instead the stopping breathing is due to collapse of the muscle and soft tissue in the back of the throat, which blocks the flow of air despite the effort of the respiratory muscles.

Causes of central sleep apnoea: in adults central sleep apnoea is seen in people with severe heart problems and in patient's with neurological diseases (eg. strokes). It can be seen in people with no obvious other abnormalities. For example it can be seen in people living at high altitude (eg. more than 2000-2500mt) causing no symptoms.

Symptoms

Symptoms are similar to obstructive sleep apnoea, due to sleep fragmentation and lack of oxygen. However some patient's with central sleep apnoea may have no symptoms at all and the diagnosis is made during investigation for other suspected sleep disorders.

Treatment

When indicated (treatment may not be needed), treatment is often only partially successful. The use of nasal CPAP (continuous airway pressure) is poorly tolerated and stopping breathing may actually get worse. Some success is obtain with medications which have stimulator effect on the breathing system, such as theophylline (brand names: Theodur, Neulin and similar)