A volume-dependent apneic threshold during NREM sleep in the dog.

We determined the causes of central apnea that commonly follow the hyperpnea resulting from brief airway occlusion during non-rapid-eye-movement (NREM) sleep. Ventilation and end-tidal gases were measured before, during, and after 214 trials of 15-20 s of tracheal occlusion in three dogs during NREM sleep. Airway occlusion was accompanied by progressive increases in inspiratory effort and was followed by transient one- to four-breath hyperapneas, with subsequent central apnea [3-15 times eupneic control expiratory duration (TE)] in 62% of occlusion trials. Significant TE prolongation after hyperventilation did not occur until tidal volume (VT) was three times greater than control; i.e., there was a volume-dependent apneic threshold. Transient electroencephalogram arousal at the end of the occlusion often augmented VT, thereby contributing to the subsequent central apnea; however, arousal was not required for the apnea to occur. Significant transient hypocapnia (up to -12 Torr arterial PCO2) commonly occurred after release of airway occlusion but was not closely correlated with the length of central apnea. During vagal blockade, after release of airway occlusion, significant transient hyperventilation occurred but at VT < 40% greater than control, and TE prolongation was markedly reduced. In summary, after release of airway occlusion in NREM sleep, 1) VT greater than three times eupnea was necessary to cause central apnea, 2) transient arousal at the termination of airway occlusion caused longer apneas by augmenting VT, and 3) transient hypocapnia per se made a significant but minor contribution to the postocclusion central apnea.