Obstructive Apnea In Artificially Hyperventilated Subjects During Sleep

Abstract

In the course of normal subjects in a body respirator, it was noted that when the subjects fell asleep movements of the chest wall became irregular or even stopped for brief intervals. Pneumotachograms were made in 3 such sleeping subjects. They demonstrated a marked decrease in the tidal volume and intervals of complete apnea. It is believed that these phenomena are due to a closure of the glottis and relaxation of the pharyngeal walls as a result of a reflex which tends to oppose hyperventilation.