Obstructive Sleep Apnea: A Neurologic Disease?

Partial or complete upper airway closure in obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) caused by a combination of anatomic and neural factors. Increasing evidence shows neurologic lesions of the upper airway in patients with OSA. This review discusses the role of neural factors in the pathogenesis of OSA, the neurologic lesions seen in OSA, and how these can be treated.