Breathing disorders in males with acquired encephalopathy

Six boys affected by acquired encephalopathy with an abnormal breathing pattern in wakefulness were studied. Polygraphic recordings showed two different patterns in our population. In two brothers a periodic breathing pattern was recorded in the awake and sleep states. In the others, central apneas with or without tachypnea and O2 desaturation were observed only during wakefulness. The analogy of these patterns with those of genetic syndromes such as familial encephalopathy and the Rett syndrome led us to postulate the aspecificity of this finding and the importance of further studies to elucidate the role of impaired behavioural and automatic breathing system control.