|
|
|
Beyond apnoea
Anastasios Mponakis1, Emmanouil Vagiakis2
1Neurologist, Adjunct Lecturer Neurology Department, Aiginitio Hospital, University of Athens, Sleep Study Centre, Evangelismos Hospital, Sleep Study Centre, St. Thomas's
Hospital, Guy's and St. Thomas's NHS Foundation Trust, London
2Associate Professor, Sleep Study Centre, Evangelismos Hospital, University of Athens
SUMMARY. Chronic sleep deprivation, resulting from either sociooccupational habits or disorders compromising sleep, is considered to be a major cause of social, occupational and personal dysfunction, but it is also one of the most common contributing factors to mortality and physical disability. With the exception of obstructive apnoea, which accounts for the greater part of all diagnostic and therapeutic procedures related to sleep disorders, the majority of disorders remain undetected and untreated. The coexistence of more than one sleep disorder in the same patient is not uncommon, especially in certain groups of patients, such as those with neuromuscular and neurodegenerative diseases. In these cases, partial diagnosis is equivalent to no diagnosis. The aim of this review is to present the most common sleep disorders, other than obstructive apnoea, which independently or in combination are responsible for the majority of complaints concerning chronic sleep deprivation. Pneumon 2009; 22(1):94-102.
Key words: Obstructive apnoea, central apnoea, restless leg syndrome, parasomnias.
Correspondence: Anastasios Mponakis, Tel.: +30 210 7201843, e-mail: bonakistasos@yahoo.com
 |