Pathogenesis of obstructive sleep apnea.

Obstructive sleep apnea is a fairly common disorder with significant adverse health consequences. However, the pathogenetic mechanisms remain incompletely understood. Upper airway (UA) patency is determined by several neuromuscular and nonneuromuscular factors including (1) UA dilating muscle activity, (2) the collapsing transmural pressure generated during inspiration, (3) changes in caudal traction, (4) vasomotor tone, and (5) mucosal adhesive forces. This review addresses the effect of sleep on UA function and how these factors conspire to cause UA obstruction.