SLEEP-APNEA IN PATIENTS WITH POSTPOLIO SYNDROME

We studied sleep architecture and sleep apnea pattern in patients with postpolio syndrome (PPS). Ten patients with clinical signs of PPS und erwent polysomnographic recording for two consecutive nights. Although sleep efficiency and proportions of sleep stages were within the norm al range, sleep architecture was disrupted owing to sleep apnea. Patie nts with bulbar involvement had more frequent sleep apnea (mean sleep apnea index, 11.09) than patients without (apnea index, 5.88). The for mer also had significantly more central apnea, which occurred more com monly during non-rapid-eye-movement (NREM) than rapid-eye-movement (RE M) sleep, than those without bulbar signs. This finding suggests reduc tion in forebrain control of compromised bulbar respiratory centers du ring NREM sleep in PPS.