GALANTAMIDE

ACETYL CHOLINE ESTERASE INHIBITORS FOR TREATING AND DIAGNOSING SLEEP DISORDERED BREATHING - Patent EP0923370PCT No. PCT/SE96/01677 Sec. 371 Date Sep. 21, 1998 Sec. 102(e) Date Sep. 21, 1998 PCT Filed Dec. 17, 1996 PCT Pub. No. WO97/22339 PCT Pub. Date Jun. 26, 1997This invention relates to a method for treating snoring, sleep apnea and other form of sleep-disordered breathing, which comprises administration of a therapeutically effective dose of an acetyl choline esterase inhibitor (CEI) such as pyridostigmine or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof. 2. The use of claim 1, wherein the CEI is selected from synstigmine, physostigmine, pyridostigmine, ambenon (ambenonium), distigmine, demecarium, neostigmine, edrophonium, tacrine (9-amino-1,2,3,4-tetrahydroacridine), metrifonate, ecothiopate, eptastigmine, tetrahydrobenzazepine and its alkylcarbamate derivatives, amiridine, linopidine, ENA-713, velnacrine, C1-INH, thiabendazole, mitezol, 3,4-diaminopyridine, eseridine, and galantamide, including pharmaceutically acceptable salts of those of the aforementioned compounds which are able to form salts with organic or inorganic acids. A basic requirement for breathing is the patency of the upper airway. This, of course, also holds true for breathing during sleep. It has recently been described that such patency - and thus breathing - may be partially or totally interrupted during sleep due to a collapse or obstruction of the upper airway; it should be observed that obstruction, in the context of the present invention, excludes obstruction by foreign objects or by material excreted by the body, such as mucus. In its simplest form partial upper airway collapse or obstruction is indicated by profound and vigorous snoring. More pronounced collapse or obstruction results in hypopnea, a condition in which airflow is reduced during inspiration with or without concomitant signs of hypoxemia.