Cerebrovascular Consequences of Obstructive Sleep Apnea

O bstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is defined by interrupted breathing during sleep due to airway obstruction with an ongoing respiratory effort. In adults, OSA most commonly is caused by decreased muscle tone (required for patency) in the soft tissues of the upper airway. 1 Symptoms of OSA include snoring, daytime sleepiness, morning headache, sexual dysfunction, and mood and behavioral disorders. 1 ] Figure In this review, our focus will be the effects of OSA on the cerebral circulation and on cerebrovascular diseases. Central sleep apnea, another form of sleep-disordered breathing that is defined by cessation of breathing due to a loss of ventilatory drive, will not be covered except when pertinent to the discussion of OSA.