Alcohol Alters Sensory Processing to Respiratory Stimuli in Healthy Men and Women During Wakefulness

摘要

Study Objectives:Alcohol can cause sleep-disordered breathing in healthy men, increase O2 desaturation in men who snore, and worsen obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) severity in men with OSA. These findings are less consistent among women, and the underlying mechanisms are incompletely understood. Respiratory-load sensory processing, which underpins upper-airway and respiratory responses to increased breathing load, is potentially impaired by alcohol. Using respiratory-related evoked potentials (RREPs) during wakefulness, this study aimed to test the hypothesis that alcohol impairs respiratory-load sensory processing and to explore potential sex differences.