A 51-year-old man comes to the physician for a follow-up appointment. He has a 1-year history of increasing frequency of episodes in which he wakes up catching his breath in the middle of the night. Polysomnography performed last week showed 72 nocturnal awakenings within an 8-hour period. Blood pressure is 150/90. Which of the following is most likely to be seen in this patient?
A) Carotid chemoreceptor potassium channel closure
B) Decreased afferent glossopharyngeal firing
C) Decreased interomediolateral tract activation
D) Decreased rostral ventrolateral nucleus activation
E) Pulmonary vascular potassium channel opening
