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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2012 Aug 13.
Published in final edited form as: Respir Care. 2010 Sep;55(9):1168–1178.

Table 1.

Forms of Central Sleep Apnea

Type of Central Apnea Mechanism Treatment
Sleep transition apnea Ventilatory response to arousal drives PCO2 below apnea threshold Reassurance
Sleep hygiene
Hypnotic therapy
Oxygen
Narcotic-induced central apnea Unclear, suppressed output from respiratory pattern generator Reduce narcotic dose
Consider advanced PAP device
Cheyne-Stokes breathing High loop gain from extravascular lung water and robust chemoresponsiveness Optimize medical therapy
Consider PAP
Complex sleep apnea CPAP reduces upper-airway resistance, improving the efficiency of CO2 excretion Reassurance
Expectant management
Idiopathic central apnea Unknown Acetazolamide
Consider bi-level PAP

PAP = positive airway pressure

CPAP = continuous positive airway pressure