The importance of recognizing an association between obstructive sleep apnea and post-traumatic stress disorder (Arthur Friedlander, et al), November 2018, V76, #11

To the Editor: - The recent article in Perspectives section of the journal on recognizing an association between obstructive sleep apnea and post-traumatic stress disorder by Friedlander et al (1) was a new and interesting view on the link between two, not traditionally associated, conditions. Authors indicated the still unknown nature of this association among a selected group of patients, especially military veterans. According to presented literature, possible connections between OSA and PTSD can be attributed to either typical for OSA fragmented sleep pattern with arousals coinciding with decreased airway muscle tone that is also common for disturbing dreams and unstable upper airways of PTSD, dysfunctional REM sleep mechanism and nightmare episodes demonstrated in both disorders, and other causes.
Source: Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery - Category: ENT & OMF Authors: Tags: Letters to the Editor Source Type: research