[Organic psychosyndrome and sleep apnea. Transdermal nicotine--a new therapy concept?].

We examined 11 patients (10 female, 1 male) of 73 to 79 years of age suffering from organic psychosyndrome (HOPS), using the apnoea screen system MESAM IV (1) and APNOE-SCREEN I. All examined patients had a sleep related disordered breathing (SBAS) with apnoea index (AI) between 10 and 52 (P/h). 3 patients (2 female, 1 male) had an increasing apnoea index under medication of theophyllin 375 mg/d. these theophyllin-nonresponsive patients received transdermal Nicotin in a concentration of 21 mg/d (during the night). The apnoea index decreased not significantly, while the tiredness was reduced significantly by 42.9%, the confusion by 40% and the nightly restlessness by 50%.