ACUTE DELIRIUM AS A MANIFESTATION OF OBSTRUCTIVE SLEEP-APNEA SYNDROME

Cognitive deficits and psychiatric manifestations such as depression a nd psychosis have been associated with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) s yndrome. We report a patient with OSA admitted to our center because o f acute delirium of sudden onset at night, during sleep, and which imp elled the patient to jump out of the window of his home. After exhaust ive study, no other causes were found for the delirium, which resolved when nasal continuous positive airway pressure (nCPAP) was initiated. We believe that it is clinically important to be aware of this associ ation, since it identifies a new, treatable cause of delirium.