OSA

Question 1

What are the consequences of insufficient sleep

Answer 1

Tendency to fall asleep (MSLT)

Psychomotor vigilance testing performance decreases

• all-cause mortality
• Incresed sympathetic activity
• Increased risk of CV events
• Increased evening cortisol levels (increased cortisol supresses immune response)
• Decreased glucose tolerance
• Decreased leptin (supresses appetite)/increased gherlin (stimulates apetite)
• Altered growth hormone (muscle recovery)
• Altered immune response

Question 2

With chronic partial sleep deprivation to 4-6 hours/night, all of the following are affected EXCEPT:

a. MSLT results (Multiple sleep latency test)
b. Amount of REM sleep (rapid eye movement)
c. Psychomotor vigilance scores
d. growth hormones secretory profile
e. amount of slow wave/N3 sleep

Answer 2

e.

Question 3

Explaing the concept of the ‘flip/flop’ switch between sleep and wake

explain mutual inhibition

Answer 3

• Ability to remain in stable periods of sleep/wake –
• by “mutual inhibition” between wake-promoting neurons

and sleep-promoting neurons

• Transitions between states of wakefulness and

sleep –

• Relatively quick (often seconds)
• Neurological mechanism that controls these rapid

transitions akin to a “flip-flop switch”

ie: I’m just going to close my eyes for 2 secs- micro nap

Question 4

What are the two processes our body use to monitor and drive the sleep/wake cycle?

explain each

Answer 4

homeostatic sleep dirve

circadian alerting signal- an internal biochemical system

external cues