FIG. 19:  This autonomic response to apnea seen in wide awake subjects carries over to patients with OSA, and manifests as prolonged periods of asystole.  This Figure shows an obstructive apneic patient.^[8]  It is apparent that he has obstructive apnea because he has no airflow, but he has chest wall movements and abdominal movements; the obstructive apnea, because of the hypoxemia and chemoreflex activation, is eliciting an a asystole of almost 9 seconds. It can be seen that that kind of bradyarrhythmic response is reproducible with recurrent apneas.