Overnight changes of chemoreflex control in obstructive sleep apnoea patients

We hypothesized that the numerous episodes of hypoxia, hypercapnia and arousal experienced by obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) patients induce overnight changes in respiratory chemoreflexes. A modification of the Read rebreathing technique assessed chemoreflex characteristics in the evening and the morning of patients undergoing diagnostic assessment for OSA in a clinical sleep laboratory. Two groups were studied: those with apnoea-hypopnoea indices (AHI) greater than 30 composed the OSA group (n = 12), and those with AHI indices less than 10 composed the non-OSA group (n = 12). There was a significant (∼30%) overnight increase in chemoreflex sensitivities, without changes in thresholds, in the OSA group. In the non-OSA group there was a significant overnight reduction in chemoreflex thresholds (∼5%), without changes in sensitivities. We suggest that these changes affect the stability of the chemoreflex control system in opposite ways as the night proceeds: destabilising breathing for patients in the OSA group, and stabilising breathing for patients in the non-OSA group.