JCSM - Article Abstract
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Volume :
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05
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Issue :
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06
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Pages :
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569-570
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CASE REPORTS
Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome: A Cause of Acute Delirium
Carolina Lombardi, M.D.1,2; Raffaele Rocchi, M.D.3; Pasquale Montagna, M.D.4; Vincenzo Silani, M.D.5; Gianfranco Parati, M.D.1,2
1Department of Clinical Medicine and Prevention, University of Milano-Bicocca; Milan, Italy; 2Department of Cardiology, S. Luca Hospital, Istituto Auxologico Italiano IRCCS; Milan, Italy; 3Department of Neuroscience, University of Siena; Siena, Italy; 4Center for Sleep Disorders, Department of Neurological Sciences, University of Bologna; Bologna, Italy; 5Department of Neurology and Laboratory of Neuroscience, “Dino Ferrari” Center, University of Milan Medical School, Istituto Auxologico Italiano IRCCS, Milan, Italy
Delirium is a transient global disorder of cognition related to a variety of structural or functional neural disorders. Descriptions and characterizations of delirium associated with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) are rare. We describe a 52-year-old man with severe OSAS associated with sudden onset of delirium and with a fluctuating nighttime course, prolonged for several days. The delirium disappeared after treatment with continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP). The patient remained free of symptoms under CPAP during a follow-up of 8 years.
Keywords: Sleep disordered breathing, delirium, neurological symptoms, sleep apnea