LOS ANGELES, Aug. 8 (UPI) -- U.S. scientists say death during sleep may be caused by central sleep apnea, leading to loss of cells in the brain that causes a stop in breathing.
Researchers at the University of California-Los Angeles, seeking to understand the mechanism behind central sleep apnea, say the cumulative loss of cells in the brain's breathing command-post leads people to stop breathing. Their findings appear in the online edition of Nature Neuroscience.
Neurobiology Professor Jack Feldman, the lead investigator, said central sleep apnea affects mostly people after age 65.
Unlike obstructive sleep apnea -- in which a person stops breathing when their airway collapses, central sleep apnea is triggered by something going awry in the brain's breathing center, Feldman said.
"There's no biological reason for the body to maintain these cells beyond the average lifespan, and so they do not replenish as we age," said Feldman. "As we lose them, we grow more prone to central sleep apnea."
