Advances in management of central apnea

Central sleep apnea (CSA) is a condition characterized by cyclic or intermittent transient reduction or interruption of airflow during sleep, in absence of any concomitant respiratory effort to contrast such event. The central causative mechanism is represented by a reduction of the upper ponto-medullary ventilatory drive, due to various conditions. CSA is in contrast with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), in which respiratory effort is observed, even if the two conditions often coexist in the same patient. In this chapter, we will discuss the main CSA syndromes and their general or specific management, based on the most recent literature. We wil then mention even other sleep breathing disorders constituted by hypoventilation syndromes.