Sleep medicine reviews
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Sleep medicine reviews · Jun 2007
ReviewPersistent sleepiness in CPAP treated obstructive sleep apnea patients: evaluation and treatment.
Nasal continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) is an effective treatment for most patients with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS), improving sleepiness, cognitive function and mood. A number of patients, however, complain about persistent sleepiness after CPAP. In these cases another clinical history should be carried out to confirm the diagnosis of OSAS, to check CPAP compliance and to exclude associated conditions such as poor sleep hygiene, depression, narcolepsy or idiopathic hypersomnia. ⋯ This impairment, if present in humans, could be another reason for residual sleepiness after CPAP. Modafinil has been shown to reduce subjective sleepiness after CPAP in OSAS patients. Further studies are warranted to clarify the way in which CPAP modifies sleepiness.