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completely anecdotal, but... My father, who was diagnosed about 12 years ago for PD was diagnosed for sleep apnea AFTER his PD diagnosis, but we suspect that he had it for years. Unfortunately, he refuses to use his CPAP machine so falls asleep regularly during the day. I think the CPAP machine could only help since it encourages better sleep and better airflow, yes? My mother-in-law who had a rare neuromuscular disorder (Stiff Person's Syndrome) also had sleep apnea for many years before her diagnosis of SPS. "Parkinson's Information Exchange Network" <[log in to unmask]> on Sunday, March 23, 2008 at 2:39 PM -0500 wrote: >I have always wondered about whether or not sleep apnea had any bearing on >getting Parkinson's or advancing progression at a faster rate. And would >using a CPAP machine (breathing machine) make any difference? I have used a >CPAP machine for about 5 years > >How many of you have sleep apnea? >Peggy > >I read an article recently about misfolded proteins in sleep apnea. >Although a bit technical, here is an excerpt: > >(quote) In a mouse model of sleep apnea, the researchers found that motor >neurons of the jaw and face had swollen endoplasmic reticula, the part of >the cell where proteins get folded properly. They surmised that misfolded >proteins accumulated as the endoplasmic reticula of mice were exposed to >decreased oxygen and oxygen fluctuations during sleep over eight weeks. The >involvement of the endoplasmic reticula has never been shown before in >explaining the physiology of sleep apnea on a cellular level . . . Sensor >proteins sitting on the surface of the endoplasmic reticula get activated by >poorly folded proteins within. The Penn group worked with one of those >proteins, called PERK. When PERK gets activated, two things can happen: The >cell can take a pathway to fix itself or one that leads to self destruction. >The cell makes that decision based on its initial health.(end quote) > >source: Univ. of Pennsylvia School of Medicine >Medical News >http://www.news-medical.net/?id=36503 > >---------------------------------------------------------------------- >To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: mailto:[log in to unmask] >In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn ---------------------------------------------------------------------- To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: mailto:[log in to unmask] In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn