I found this on another site, linking to:

http://ajrccm.atsjournals.org/cgi/co...full/159/1/213

"....Because chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is well known to induce peripheral neuropathy and resistance to ischemic nerve conduction failure (RICF), we performed a case-control study examining peripheral nerve function during ischemia in 17 patients with severe obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) without daytime hypoxemia and 10 control subjects........"

I'm not sure exactly what the findings say.

that reduces oxygen to the tissues, leads to cell damage and cell death. This is most noticeable in the legs, and brain.

So sleep apnea certainly falls into that category.

I have no idea how long I have had sleep apnea doing this type of damage. My oxygen level was dropping below 86%. All the more reason to stick with the CPAP!

Before I'd my PN onset, I'd suspected apnea, but not to a degree to be tested. Most of it was sinus related and meds controlled the worst of it.
When I'd had my onset, the neuro wanted to do tests for apnea and other sleep tests, but I'd refused. WHY? Because apnea and other issues disappeared for three years after my onset. Well, it's back now, and I will ask for apnea testing, I think....
The connections are kind of scary in that article...While not a big test, it does show connections that seem to be relevant.
It IS dense reading for sure, but if you take your time and FOCUS you'll get the solid parts of the gist of the thing.
Yeah, its' tech talk, but it also is in ENGLISH...ergo the 'connectors' we should at least get!
Good find again! - j

Now me, I never knew I had sleep apnea. I thught that only happened to people who fell asleep while you were talking to them. Another symptom I have, directly related to sleep apnea, and I didn't realize it: after an apnea episode, I would seem awake, and would be mumbling, yet never remembered doing it...my daughter had a lot of laughs about this, not realizing I actually was not awake.

I have 2 sons with sleep apnea, and I still never recognized it in myself. My neuro took one look at me and suspected it. Now that I know more about it, it's kind of scary.

Thanks for the link.