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I can only tell you about the apnea that my Dad has. There are probably many sites on net that can tell you more. In my Dad's case, the tissue in his throat is flabby, and when he sleeps laying down, this tissue collapses and blocks his airway. He has always been a very loud snorer and has flexed his feet while he sleeps. Once the airway has been blocked, the body waits a few seconds, sometimes as many as 30 to 40 seconds, and then causes the body to take a really big breath. This process of being blocked and becoming unblocked can happen hundreds of times during a night (or so I've been told) and keeps sufferers from entering the deeper stages of sleep, one of which is the stage of sleep that allows us to dream. My Dad has never dreamed. He is usually tired during the day because he is repeatedly being awakened without knowing it. Most apnea sufferers do not know they have this condition and that is why it is good idea to go to a Sleep Clinic referred by your main PD doctor. It is only my opinion that lifelong apnea causes a tiny amount of brain cells to perish each time the brain is deprived of oxygen. Over seven decades of sleep apnea I feel that apnea can help to explain the my Dad's mental state and has contributed the loss of his dopamine producing cells over time. Some researchers speculate that cell death produces chemicals which can harm other functioning cells in the brain. Of course, as all of you know I am sure, there are so many contributing factors to the condition that is PD and only time and continued research can nail things down. I am new to this group and may really be speaking out of school here. I do not know but what I have found on the internet and in visits to Dad's doctor. Jann ---------------------------------------------------------------------- To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: mailto:[log in to unmask] In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn