Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
Pivot Concepts:   Target Concepts:
Query: UMLS:C0037315 (sleep apnea)
 8,000 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Upper airway reactivity was measured in 13 patients with obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA), using transient reflex laryngeal closure in response to dilute inhaled ammonia vapour. Upper airway reactivity was measured before and after 3 months of treatment with nasal continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP). Upper airway reactivity decreased significantly after treatment with nasal CPAP to values which were similar to those seen in normal subjects. We hypothesise that patients with OSA have increased upper airway reactivity, secondary to inflammation of the epithelial lining of the upper airway following the repeated injury of nocturnal airway obstruction, allowing the facilitated passage of inhaled irritants to the subepithelial receptors. Treatment of OSA with nasal CPAP may reverse these changes, although in the absence of a control group, these findings are provisional.
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PMID:Obstructive sleep apnoea and upper airway reactivity. 968 83

Rhinitis, allergic or non-allergic, is an inflammatory condition of the nose. It is associated with a wide range of sleep disorders that are generally attributed to nasal congestion and presence of inflammatory mediators like cytokines and interleukins. However, the pathophysiological mechanisms behind these sleep disorders remain unclear. On the other hand, the trigeminocardiac reflex (TCR) has recently been linked to various sleep disorders like obstructive sleep apnea, sleep bruxism and rapid eye movement (REM) sleep apnea. TCR can be incited by stimulation of the trigeminal nerve or the area innervated by its branches including the nasal mucosa. Trigeminal nasal afferents can be activated on exposure to noxious stimuli (mechanical or chemical) like ammonia vapors, carbon-dioxide, nicotine, hypertonic saline, air-puffs and smoke. In rhinitis, there is associated neuronal hyper-responsiveness of sensory nasal afferents due to inflammation (which can be suppressed by steroids). This may further lead to increased occurrence of TCR in rhinitis. Moreover, there is involvement of autonomic nervous system both in rhinitis and TCR. In TCR, parasympathetic over activity and sympathetic inhibition leads to sudden onset bradycardia, hypotension, apnea and gastric motility. Also, the autonomic imbalance reportedly plays a significant role in the pathophysiology of rhinitis. Thus, considering these facts we hypothesize that the TCR could be the link between rhinitis and sleep disorders and we believe that further research in this direction may yield significant development in our understanding of sleep disorders in rhinitis.
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PMID:Rhinitis and sleep disorders: The trigeminocardiac reflex link? 2857 21