“These data indicate that transient arousal, induced by non-respiratory stimulation, influences the resolution of obstructive apneas during sleep…the tendency for the stimulus to resolve the apnea within 2 s of the tone… the current study appears to be able to influence respiration consistent with termination, or early resolution, of obstructive apneas in patients with OSA.”

“Furthermore, such non-respiratory afferent stimulation appears to be able to influence apnea resolution without involving ascending arousal systems. Resolution of the apnea after stimulation was generally associated with qualitatively increased submental EMG compared with the EMG during the apnea whether electrocortical arousal occurred… suggesting a similar mechanism of response to tones irrespective of cortical involvement.”

“The current findings suggest that strategies of induced arousal, at an intensity level stimulating respiration while avoiding recruitment of the ascending arousal system and it’s potential effects of sleep disruption, could have potential application as a therapeutic modality.”

Effect of induced transient arousal on obstructive apnea duration
R. C. Basner, E. Onal, D. W. Carley, E. J. Stepanski and M. Lopata

“The present findings do suggest that it may be possible to significantly modulate respiratory drive via nonrespiratory afferent stimulation without causing significant sleep fragmentation or restriction.”

“This may have potential therapeutic implications for disorders such as sleep-related hypoventilation and sleep apnea syndrome. In fact, we have recently demonstrated that AS (audio stimulation) with or without AR (EEG arousal) can shorten the duration of apnea in patients with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome…”

Respiratory and Arousal Responses to Acoustic Stimulation
Robert C. Basner; Ergün Önal; Melvin Lopata; Robert Applebaum; and David W. Carley