Corticoperipheral neuromuscular disconnection in obstructive sleep apnoea.

The roles of central nervous mechanisms and cortical output in obstructive sleep apnoea remain unclear. We addressed corticomuscular coupling between cortical sensorimotor areas and lower facial motor units as a mechanistic pathway and as a possible surrogate marker of corticoperipheral motor control in obstructive sleep apnoea. In this exploratory cross-sectional retrospective study, we analysed EEG (C3 and C4 leads) and chin EMG from polysomnography recordings in 86 participants (22 females; age range: 26-81 years): 27 with mild (respiratory disturbance index = 5-15 events/h), 21 with moderate (15-30 events/h) and 23 with severe obstructive sleep apnoea (>30 events/h) and 15 control subjects (<5 events/h).