The heterogeneity of obstructive sleep apnea (predominant obstructive vs pure obstructive apnea)

To compare the breathing instability and upper airway collapsibility between patients with pure OSA (i.e. 100% of apneas are obstructive) and patients with predominant OSA (i.e., coexisting obstructive and central apneas).

A cross-sectional study with data scored by a fellow being blinded to the subjects' classification. The results were compared between the 2 groups with unpaired student t-test.

Standard polysomnography technique was used to document sleep-wake state. Ventilator in pressure support mode was used to introduce hypocapnic apnea during CO(2) reserve measurement. CPAP with both positive and negative pressures was used to produce obstructive apnea during upper airway collapsibility measurement.

21 patients with OSA: 12 with coexisting central/mixed apneas and hypopneas (28% ± 6% of total), and 9 had pure OSA.

The upper airway collapsibility was measured by assessing the critical closing pressure (Pcrit). Breathing stability was assessed by measuring CO(2) reserve (i.e., ΔPCO(2) [eupnea-apnea threshold]) during NREM sleep.

There was no difference in Pcrit between the 2 groups (pure OSA vs. predominant OSA: 2.0 ± 0.4 vs. 2.7 ± 0.4 cm H(2)O, P = 0.27); but the CO(2) reserve was significantly smaller in predominant OSA group (1.6 ± 0.7 mm Hg) than the pure OSA group (3.8 ± 0.6 mm Hg) (P = 0.02).

The present data indicate that breathing stability rather than upper airway collapsibility distinguishes OSA patients with a combination of obstructive and central events from those with pure OSA.