Surgery Improves Sleep for Those With Brain Malformations

WEDNESDAY, Jan. 11, 2006 (HealthDay News) -- Surgery to relieve compression on the brain stem may also improve sleep apnea in people with a brain defect called Arnold-Chiari Malformation, says a French study in the Jan. 10 issue of Neurology.

Sleep apnea is a disorder that causes breathing interruptions during sleep, which can result in daytime sleepiness. People with Arnold-Chiari Malformation have abnormalities that cause the brain's cerebellum to protrude through the bottom of the skull against the spinal cord. This protrusion can compress the brain stem, including areas that control breathing.

This study of 16 people with Arnold-Chiari Malformation found that 12 of them had sleep apnea. Eight of the 12 had surgery to relieve compression on the brain stem, which resulted in a significant decrease in sleep apnea episodes.

"Our study shows that more than 70 percent of people with Chiari Malformations have sleep apnea and problems with daytime sleepiness. These problems can be significantly improved by surgery," study author Dr. Frederic Gagnadoux, of Central University Hospital in Angers, said in a prepared statement.

"Anyone with Chiari Malformation who is experiencing daytime sleepiness should do an overnight sleep study to check for sleep apnea," Gagnadoux said.

More information

The U.S. National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke has more about Arnold-Chiari Malformation.