The upper airway of patients with obstructive sleep apnea is often characterised by a narrow lumen and increased compliance of the pharyngeal wall. During inspiration, a negative inspiratory pressure is developed which may produce occlusion in the pharynx. Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) works as a pneumatic splint dilating the upper airway and thus keeping the airway open. The result is a patent airway, free regular breathing during sleep with no oxygen desaturations and normal sleep architecture. Irregular pulse, fluctuations in blood pressure, increased levels of catecholamines recorded during sleep in patients with obstructive sleep apnea are normalised during CPAP treatment.
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Jan Ovesen (1992) studied this question.