Sleep-Disordered Breathing in Neuromuscular Disease

Sleep-disordered breathing is a fundamental characteristic and a major cause of morbidity and mortality in neuromuscular diseases. Early recognition of the signs and symptoms of respiratory muscle weakness is essential in order to adequately treat and improve the quality of life of patients living with these illnesses. The pathophysiology underlying each neuromuscular disorder manifests as sleep-related issues that are disease-specific. The following chapter will describe the natural history of hypoventilation and sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) in neuromuscular disease (NMD) and discuss special considerations regarding the use of polysomnography (PSG) and the titration of non-invasive ventilation (NIV).