What does Adaptive Servo-Ventilation (ASV) do in the treatment of central sleep apnea?

Adaptive Servo-Ventilation (ASV) is designed to treat central sleep apnea by continuously monitoring and adjusting the patient's ventilation. It effectively delivers varying amounts of pressure support based on real-time assessments of the patient's breathing patterns. The primary mechanism involves detecting periods of apnea or hypopnea and subsequently augmenting ventilation to maintain adequate airflow. By continuously calculating the target ventilation, ASV can provide the precise level of support needed during each respiratory cycle, improving airway patency and promoting more stable breathing patterns during sleep.

While ASV may lead to a reduction in daytime sleepiness as a secondary benefit of improved sleep quality, the key function of ASV lies in its ventilatory support capabilities. Similarly, although it can have positive effects on heart function and potentially reduce the reliance on CPAP therapy for some patients, ASV's primary role is to actively manage ventilation in response to patient needs during central sleep apnea episodes, making the continuous calculation of target ventilation its defining characteristic.