Patients with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) type 2 typically begin exhibiting symptoms between 6 and 18 months old. This study, published in Sleep Medicine, analyzed both sleep architecture and the presence of sleep-disordered breathing in patients with SMA type 2.
The study included data from 18 patients with SMA type 2 and 18 control patients. All patients underwent nocturnal polysomnography. The patients with SMA were monitored in several other ways, including motor scales. The two groups did not differ significantly in age, gender, nutritional status, or body mass index.
Ultimately, the Apnea-Hypopnea Index was found to be significantly higher in SMA patients. Moreover, patients with SMA showed several differences in sleep architecture, including less total sleep time and more sleep fragmentation due to respiratory-related arousals [1].
Source:
[1] Bertrán, K., Sans Capdevila, O., Nascimiento, A., Ortez, C., Natera, D., & Iranzo De Riquer, A. (2022). Sleep breathing disorders in pediatric patients with spinal muscular atrophy 2. Sleep Medicine, 89, 85–89. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sleep.2021.11.006
