Polysomnographic Features of Medical and Psychiatric Disorders and Their Treatments

Psychiatric, neurologic, and medical illnesses, and their pharmacologic treatments affect the polysomnographic manifestations of sleep. Many patients undergoing sleep studies have multiple medical problems and often are taking many medications. Therefore, it is crucial that those interpreting sleep studies have an understanding of these effects. In this way, all the potential contributors to the polysomnographic findings can be addressed adequately. This article serves as a primer on changes in polysomnography (PSG) caused by commonly encountered disease states and their pharmacologic treatments.