The effects of experimental sleep fragmentation and sleep deprivation on the response of the genioglossus muscle to inspiratory resistive loads

Abstract

Study Objectives: Poor upper airway dilator muscle function may contribute to obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Sleep deprivation reduces dilator muscle responsiveness, but sleep fragmentation, which is most characteristic of OSA, has not been assessed. This study compared the effects of sleep deprivation and fragmentation on dilator muscle responsiveness during wakefulness. Methods: Twenty-four healthy individuals (10 female) participated in two consecutive overnight polysomnography (PSG) sessions. The frst was an adaptation PSG of normal sleep. The second was an experimental PSG, where participants were allocated to groups of either normal sleep, no sleep, or fragmented sleep. Inspiratory res..