Journal
MUSCLE & NERVE
Volume 42, Issue 2, Pages 257-261Publisher
WILEY
DOI: 10.1002/mus.21690
Keywords
clinical neurophysiology; EMG; hypoglossal nerve; nerve conduction studies; sleep apnea
Categories
Funding
- National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) [K23 NS055200, K23 NS050161, K23 NS051202]
Ask authors/readers for more resources
Denervation of oropharyngeal muscles in obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) has been suggested by needle electromyography (EMG) and muscle biopsy, but little is known about oropharyngeal nerve conduction abnormalities in OSA. We sought to compare hypoglossal nerve conduction studies in patients with and without OSA. Unilateral hypoglossal nerve conduction studies were performed on 20 subjects with OSA and 20 age-matched controls using standard techniques. Median age was 48 years in OSA subjects and 47 years in controls. Hypoglossal compound muscle action potential (CMAP) amplitudes were significantly reduced (P = 0.01, Wilcoxon signed-rank test), but prolongation of latencies in OSA subjects did not reach significance in comparison to those of controls. Among a subgroup of subjects without polyneuropathy (15 pairs), reduced amplitudes in OSA subjects retained borderline significance (P = 0.05). Hypoglossal nerve conduction abnormalities may distinguish patients with OSA from controls. These abnormalities could potentially contribute to, or arise from, OSA. Muscle Nerve 42: 257-261, 2010
Authors
I am an author on this paper
Click your name to claim this paper and add it to your profile.
Reviews
Recommended
No Data Available