Differences in arousal response between aged and middle-aged patients with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome

Abstract The aim of this study is to show the clinical significance of the differences in arousal response at a termination of apnea/hypopnea between aged and middle-aged patients with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS). We polygraphically assessed electrocardiographic (ECG) and electroencephalographic (EEG) arousal. Electrocardiographic arousal was defined as an abrupt increase in heart rate at a termination of apnea/hypopnea. Our findings showed that EEG and ECG arousal at a termination of apnea/hypopnea were significantly suppressed in aged patients with OSAS, which might provide useful information on the pathophysiology of OSAS.     

Epworth Sleepiness Scale and sleep studies in patients with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome

Excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS) is the major symptom of patients with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS). In this study, we examined the relationship between subjective EDS scored with the Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS), objective EDS measured with the multiple sleep latency test (MSLT) and sleep variables evaluated with polysomnography for patients with OSAS. Subjects were 10 patients (51.7+/-19.0 years old). The average ESS and MSLT scores were 10.6+/-5.6 and 7.7+/-5.6, respectively. There was no significant relationship between ESS and MSLT. The Multiple Sleep Latency Test had a significant negative relationship with the number of awakenings and the apnea/hypopnea index. No relationship was found between nocturnal hypoxia and either ESS or MSLT. Our findings suggest that objective EDS in OSAS is related with fragmentation of sleep, and that several patients are not aware of their EDS.     

Improvement of subjective work performance among obstructive sleep apnea patients after treatment with continuous positive airway pressure

Obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) is a significant problem for some patients presenting with snoring and excessive daytime sleepiness. The 'golden standard' therapy in OSAS is considered to be nasal continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP). The effects of CPAP on work performance in sleep apnoics has not been studied previously. One hundred and fifty-two patients with OSAS participated in an open label study. The patients were diagnosed as suffering from severe OSAS after they underwent overnight polysomnography showing that their apnea indexes were at least 20. The participants answered four questions concerning self-perceived work performance prior to and after using CPAP during 6 months. There were highly statistically significant decreases (P < 0.000001) in work performance difficulties as graded by the patient. The results of this study indicate that CPAP treatment improves subjective work performance in patients suffering from OSAS.     

Facial patterns of obstructive sleep apnea patients using Ricketts' method

To analyze the facial patterns of obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) patients, we took lateral cephalograms of 31 OSAS patients and 26 non-OSAS controls and utilized Ricketts' method. In addition, we measured the hyoid bone position, the length of mandibular plane to H-point, the length of soft palate, and lower pharynx. The facial patterns of OSAS patients were dolico, the hyoid bone was positioned low, the soft palate was longer and the width of the airway was narrower than that of the non-OSAS controls.     

Headache characteristics in obstructive sleep apnea syndrome and insomnia

OBJECTIVES: To determine headache characteristics in the obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) and in insomnia. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Fifty-six OSAS patients and 50 insomnia patients were assessed in the same time period. Patients in both groups underwent an accurate interview to investigate headache occurrence and its characteristics. Results - Headache was reported by 49% of OSAS patients and 48% of insomnia patients. In OSAS patients headache had most frequently a tension-type pattern. Headache occurred on awakening in 74% of OSAS patients, more frequently than in insomnia patients (40%) (chi(2); P < 0.04). The occurrence of morning headache appears to be significantly correlated with nocturnal oxygen desaturation and OSAS severity. CONCLUSION: Headache is a common finding in both OSAS and insomnia patients. Because morning headache seems to be more specific for OSAS than insomnia, and in OSAS its occurrence seems to be associated with disease severity, we hypothesize the involvement of certain pathogenic mechanisms associated with OSAS.     

A 1H magnetic resonance spectroscopy study in patients with obstructive sleep apnea

Background and purpose: Repeated episodes of hypoxia, hypercapnia and transient blood pressure elevation in obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) may damage neutral structures and induce cerebral metabolic impairment. This study aimed to determine the impact of OSAS on cerebral metabolites measured by ¹H magnetic resonance spectroscopy (¹H ‐MRS). Methods: Twenty OSAS patients underwent standard overnight polysomnography and ¹H‐MRS separately. Proton volumes of interest (VOIs) were placed in frontal and midtemporal regions bilaterally. Results: Significantly lower values of the N‐acetylaspartate (NAA)/creatine (Cr) ratio were found in frontal regions (P < 0.004) compared with 20 age‐matched control subjects. A significant increase in the myo‐inositol (Ins)/Cr ratio was evident bilaterally in temporal and frontal regions (P < 0.00002 and P < 0.04). Choline (Cho)/Cr ratio values were also significantly greater in temporal regions (P < 0.00001). A significant negative correlation (r = ?0.51, P < 0.03) was found between the apnea‐hypopnea index (AHI) and NAA/Cr ratio in the frontal regions of OSAS patients. Conclusions: Reduction in the NAA/Cr ratio in frontal regions of OSAS patients could be related to neural loss. Increase in the Cho/Cr ratio in temporal regions and Ins/Cr ratio in both frontal and temporal regions could be interpreted as evidence of membrane breakdown and reactive gliosis, respectively, consequent to repeated episodes of hypoxia in OSAS.     

Daytime sleepiness and automobile accidents in patients with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome

Abstract We evaluated the rate of automobile accidents and daytime sleepiness using the Epworth sleepiness scale (ESS) in 44 patients with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS). We defined the automobile accident score as a sum of two points for every one automobile accident and one point for every near-miss accident. Automobile accidents and near-misses were found in 54.5% and 50.0% in patients with OSAS. Automobile accident score was significantly correlated with the ESS score ( r = 0.56, P < 0.01). Our findings suggest that ESS score may be useful in detecting patients with the potential risk of automobile accidents associated with daytime sleepiness.     

Sleep architectures of obstructive sleep apnea syndrome in the young child

The sleep architectures of obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) in the young child (child-OSAS, n = 17; mean age: 5.9+/-2.7 years; male:female 14:3) were compared with that of OSAS in the adult (n = 19; mean age: 44.7+/-10.7 years; male:female 18:1) and that of primary snoring in the child (n = 5; mean age: 7.0+/-2.4 years; male:female 5:0). Child-OSAS and OSAS in the adult had the same severity in oxygen desaturation. Child-OSAS showed lower Apnea-Hypopnea Index compared with OSAS in the adult. Sleep continuity in child-OSAS was not impaired compared with OSAS in the adult. Sleep fragmentation in child-OSAS was not so remarkable. The quantity of slow wave sleep in child-OSAS was similar to that of primary snoring in the child. Both profiles of sleep architectures showed nearly the same pattern.     

Prognosis of the middle-aged and aged patients with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome

Abstract The long-term natural course of obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) is studied in order to determine whether severity of nocturnal oxygen desaturation associated with apnea/hypopnea, body mass index (BMI), and hypertension influence survival in young (<40 years), middle-aged (40–64 years), and aged (65 years) using a questionnaire survey. One hundred and forty-eight patients with OSAS aged 17–78 years (136 men, 12 women, mean 52.0±12.3 yean), who were diagnosed by standard polysomnography (PSG) between 1983 and 1993, participated in the study. The survey revealed 15 deaths and 101 survivors; 32 subjects could not be located. The survival rate was 71.4% (95% confidence interval:55.6–87.2%). The survival rate in patients with OSAS was significantly lower than that in the age and sex-adjusted control Japanese population (87.6%). In the young group, only one death (a 19–year-old woman) occurred unexpectedly during sleep. The patient showed an apnea/hypopnea index (AHI) of 33 per h and the length of time that the nocturnal oxygen saturation (SaO₂) fell below 90% (time of SaO₂ < 90%) of 205 min. The survival rate in middle-aged patients with OSAS was significantly lower than that in the age and sex-adjusted control Japanese population (79.2 vs 91.0%), but this pattern was not seen among the aged. Time of SaO₂ <90% was significantly longer in the middle-aged patients than in the aged patients, but AHI did not differ between the two groups. Moreover, it was significantly correlated with AHI in middle-aged patients, but not in the aged patients. The survival rate was significantly lower in patients with hypertension than in the patients without such complications in the middle-aged group (57.9 vs 90.4%). Cox proportional-hazard regression model including age, hypertension, BMI, AHI, lowest SaO₂, and time of SaO₂ <90% showed that hypertension was only significantly associated with lower survival rate in total group and middle-aged patients, but not in the young or aged patients. The prognosis in patients with OSAS may differ among the generations. The prognosis in the middle-aged population may depend on the role of OSAS on the complications of hypertension or severity of oxygen desaturation, but not on AHI only.     

Risk factors for obstructive sleep apnea syndrome screening in mood disorder patients

Aims:  Previous studies have reported that the incidence of obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) in patients with depression is higher than in the general population. We examined the risk factors to predict OSAS in mood disorder patients with depressive symptoms.
Method:  We conducted polysomnography for patients who satisfied the following criteria: (i) diagnosis of major depressive disorder or bipolar disorder according to the Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI); (ii) a score of ≥10 on the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HAM-D); (iii) fulfillment of either (a) or (b) below: (a) at least one of the following: severe snoring, witnessed apnea during sleep, excessive daytime sleepiness; (b) at least one of the following plus an oxygen desaturation index of 4% ≥5 times/h by pulse oximeter: mild snoring, sleep disturbance, headache, high blood pressure. The patients with apnea hypopnea index ≥5 were diagnosed with OSAS.
Results:  Of the 32 mood disorder patients who met the subject conditions, 59.4% had OSAS. The diagnosis rate with our criteria was significantly higher than the previously reported incidence of OSAS in patients with depression. There was no significant difference among diagnosis rates as to individual risk factors or the number of risk factors. A multiple regression test showed no significant association between apnea–hypopnea index and other clinical factors including depression severity.
Conclusion:  The present results showed that OSAS can be detected at a remarkably higher rate by considering appropriate OSAS risk factors in mood disorder patients, and suggested that there is a high rate of undetected and therefore untreated OSAS among mood disorder patients.     

Changes in salivary cortisol levels in pediatric patients with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome after adenotonsillectomy

ObjectiveObstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) activates the stress response system, including the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenocortical (HPA) axis. The salivary cortisol, as an index of free circulating cortisol levels, may be used as a measure of HPA axis activity. We examined the change in the salivary cortisol level in pediatric OSAS patients before and after adenotonsillectomy (AT).MethodsForty-eight subjects from 80 subjects suspicious of having OSAS were diagnosed with OSAS by overnight PSG, 34 of 48 OSAS patients undergoing AT, and 13 of 34 OSAS patients were finally enrolled prospectively for this study. Before and three months after the AT, the saliva was collected at night before PSG (n-sCor) and in the early morning after PSG (m-sCor) for the measurements of the salivary cortisol level.ResultsChildren in the study population (n = 13) were divided into mild (1⩽ AHI <5, n = 5), moderate (5⩽ AHI <10, n = 3), and severe (AHI ⩾10, n = 5) OSAS groups. The mean preoperative AHI in the children was 14.7, and the mean postoperative AHI was 0.33. The percentage of children with AHI <1 after AT was 92.3%. Postoperative m-sCor, the difference of cortisol level (sub-sCor: m-sCor minus n-sCor), and the ratio of cortisol level (r-sCor: m-sCor/n-sCor) showed significant difference postoperatively.ConclusionsAT was associated with improvements in PSG and subjective symptoms in pediatric OSAS patients. In addition, these improvements were significantly related to normalization of salivary cortisol level after AT. Although further study on salivary cortisol levels needs to be done, the measurement of salivary cortisol level before and after AT may predict the outcome of AT as a treatment of OSAS.     

Mortality prediction in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and obstructive sleep apnea

BackgroundWe aimed to assess mortality in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), and overlap syndrome, and evaluate which polysomnographic indices—apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) or hypoxemic load measurements—better predict mortality within 10 years.MethodsAdults with symptoms suggestive of sleep apnea and airway disease who underwent both polysomnography and spirometry plus bronchodilator response tests between 2000 and 2018 were included and divided into four groups according to presence of COPD and moderate-to-severe OSA (AHI ≥15/h). We estimated mortality using a Cox model adjusted for demographic/anthropometric covariates and comorbidities; this was called clinical model. To evaluate prognostic performance, we compared the concordance index (C-index) between clinical model and extended models, which incorporated one of polysomnographic indices—AHI, sleep time spent with SpO₂ < 90% (TS90), and mean and lowest SpO₂.ResultsAmong 355 participants, patients with COPD alone (57/355, 16.1%) and COPD–OSA overlap syndrome (37/355, 10.4%) had increased all-cause mortality than those who had neither disease (152/355, 42.8%) (adjusted HR, 2.98 and 3.19, respectively). The C-indices of extended models with TS90 (%) and mean SpO₂ were significantly higher than that of clinical model (0.765 vs. 0.737 and 0.756 vs. 0.737, respectively; all P < 0.05); however, the C-index of extended model with AHI was not (0.739 vs. 0.737; P = 0.15).ConclusionsIn this cohort with symptoms of sleep apnea and airway disease, patients with overlap syndrome had increased mortality, but not higher than in those with COPD alone. The measurement of hypoxemic load, not AHI, better predicted mortality.     

A randomized,controlled trial of positional therapy versus oral appliance therapy for position-dependent sleep apnea

ObjectiveTo compare the effectiveness of positional therapy (PT) with the sleep position trainer (SPT) to oral appliance therapy (OAT) in patients with mild-to-moderate positional obstructive sleep apnea (POSA).MethodsMulticenter, prospective, randomized, controlled trial. Patients with mild-to-moderate POSA (apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) ≥5 ≤ 30/hour sleep) were randomized for PT or OAT. Polysomnography was repeated after 3 months. Efficacy, adherence, mean disease alleviation (MDA), quality of life, dropouts and adverse events were evaluated.ResultsA total of 177 patients were screened for the study; 99 underwent randomization and 81 completed the study. Intention-to-treat (ITT) analysis of median [IQR] AHI showed a reduction in the PT group from 13.0 [9.7–18.5] to 7.0 [3.8–12.8], p < 0.001 and in the OAT group from 11.7 [9.0–16.2] to 9.1 [4.9–11.7], p < 0.001. Mean adherence (≥4 h/night, ≥5 days/week) was 89.3 ± 22.4% for SPT versus 81.3 ± 30.0% in OAT patients, p = 0.208.ConclusionsOral appliance therapy and positional therapy were equally effective in reducing the median AHI in patients with mild-to-moderate POSA. The results of this study have important implications for future OSA treatment guidelines and daily clinical practice.ClinicalTrials.gov numberNCT02045576.     

阻塞性睡眠呼吸暂停综合征患者血浆脂蛋白相关磷脂酶A_2含量的变化

目的观察阻塞性睡眠呼吸暂停综合征(OSAS)患者血浆脂蛋白相关磷脂酶A2(Lp-PLA2)水平的变化特点,探索OSAS相关性脑卒中的病理生理学机制,为临床抗栓治疗提供依据。方法经临床和辅助检查确诊的OSAS患者40例(OSAS组)、伴OSAS的急性脑梗死患者36例(OSAS伴脑梗死组)以及不伴OSAS的急性脑梗死患者38例(脑梗死组)纳入本研究,另选取年龄、性别匹配的36名健康者作为对照组。采用ELISA法检测各组血浆Lp-PLA2水平。结果发病24h时,OSAS组、OSAS伴脑梗死组以及脑梗死组患者血浆LpPLA2水平均显著高于对照组(均P0.01),且OSAS伴脑梗死组血浆Lp-PLA2水平高于OSAS组和脑梗死组(均P0.01)。至发病后21d,OSAS伴脑梗死组患者血浆Lp-PLA2含量仍高于脑梗死组和对照组(P0.01),而脑梗死组和对照组血浆Lp-PLA2水平比较差异无统计学意义(P0.05)。结论 OSAS患者血浆LpPLA2水平升高,提示其体内存在Lp-PLA2相关性炎性反应,LP-PLA2可作为一种理想的分子标记物用于判断OSAS患者体内炎性反应状态;OSAS伴脑梗死患者炎性反应明显且持续时间较长,可能为早期强化抗炎治疗提供理论依据。     

Neuropsychological correlates of obstructive sleep apnea severity in patients with epilepsy

Aims. Obstructive sleep apnea affects up to 30% of patients with epilepsy. As obstructive sleep apnea represents a clinical risk factor for cognitive deficits, its occurrence in epilepsy patients may exacerbate cognitive deficits associated with this condition. However, the cognitive burden of obstructive sleep apnea in epilepsy remains poorly understood. We conducted a retrospective record review of adults with epilepsy who underwent a polysomnography and a neuropsychological assessment at Brigham and Women's Hospital. Methods. We examined the relationship between obstructive sleep apnea severity and cognitive functioning, particularly attention/executive functions, memory, and processing speed in untreated obstructive sleep apnea patients with epilepsy. Twenty patients with epilepsy and mild‐to‐severe obstructive sleep apnea were included in the analyses. Results. We found significant positive correlations between the oxygen saturation levels during rapid‐eye‐movement sleep and attention/executive tests (p<0.05), as well as time spent with saturation levels ≤90% and executive functioning (p=0.008). Similarly, worse verbal memory performances were associated with lower oxygen levels (p=0.003). In addition, more severe respiratory events during rapid‐eye‐movement sleep were associated with worse performances on attention tests (p=0.03). Conclusions. Our findings indicate that more severe obstructive sleep apnea‐related hypoxemia during sleep is associated with poorer cognitive performances on tests that assess attention/executive functions and verbal memory in patients with epilepsy. Overall, these results are consistent with the sleep apnea literature, and suggest that patients with epilepsy are also vulnerable to the effects of obstructive sleep apnea. Future prospective studies will help in determining whether treatment of obstructive sleep apnea may help improve cognitive functioning in patients with epilepsy.     

Information processing speed in obstructive sleep apnea syndrome: a review

To provide a comprehensive review of studies on information processing speed in patients with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) as compared to healthy controls and normative data, and to determine whether continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) treatment improves information processing speed. A systematic review was performed on studies drawn from Medline and PsycINFO (January 1990–December 2011) and identified from lists of references in these studies. After inclusion criteria, 159 articles were left for abstract review, and after exclusion criteria 44 articles were fully reviewed. The number of patients in the studies reviewed ranged from 10 to 157 and the study samples consisted mainly of men. Half of the studies reported that patients with OSAS showed reduced information processing speed when compared to healthy controls. Reduced information processing speed was seen more often (75%) when compared to norm‐referenced data. Psychomotor speed seemed to be particularly liable to change. CPAP treatment improved processing speed, but the improvement was marginal when compared to placebo or conservative treatment. Patients with OSAS are affected by reduced information processing speed, which may persist despite CPAP treatment. Information processing is usually assessed as part of other cognitive functioning, not as a cognitive domain per se. However, it is important to take account of information processing speed when assessing other aspects of cognitive functioning. This will make it possible to determine whether cognitive decline in patients with OSAS is based on lower‐level or higher‐level cognitive processes or both.     

气道正压通气对睡眠呼吸暂停综合征的疗效

目的:了解阻塞型睡眠呼吸暂停综合征(OSAS)患者在经鼻持续气道正压通气(nCPAP)治疗前后的睡眠特征和心身状况变化。方法:nCPAP治疗35例OSAS患者,治疗前、后分别采用多导睡眠分析仪对患者进行检查,分析治疗前、后多导睡眠图(PSG)各项指标改变。结果:治疗后患者临床症状消除,睡眠结构、最低血氧饱和度及呼吸紊乱指数等各项指标均有明显改善(P<0·01)。结论:nCPAP治疗不仅使睡眠呼吸暂停综合征(SAS)患者嗜睡、疲乏等临床症状消失,明显改善睡眠结构,而且改善心身健康状况。     

Increased cell‐free DNA concentrations in patients with obstructive sleep apnea

Aim: Blood concentrations of cell‐free DNA, which is considered to be released during apoptosis, are elevated under some pathological conditions such as cardiovascular disease and cancer. The association between obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and cell‐free DNA concentrations has not been reported so far. The purpose of the present study was to examine the association between OSA and plasma DNA concentrations. Methods: A case–control study was conducted using a total of 164 men aged 39–67 years, who were free of coronary heart disease and cancer. Laboratory‐based overnight polysomnography was performed for all participants. Results: On the basis of polysomnography, patients with an apnea–hypopnea index (AHI) = 5–30 events/h were defined as having mild–moderate OSA (n = 33) and those with >30 events/h were defined as having severe OSA (n = 49). All 82 controls had AHI < 5 events/h. Plasma DNA concentrations from all participants were analyzed for the β‐globin gene using fluorescence‐based real‐time polymerase chain reaction. Patients with severe OSA had significantly higher plasma DNA concentrations than persons with mild–moderate OSA and those without OSA (P < 0.05). AHI was significantly associated with body mass index (P < 0.001), hypertension (P < 0.001), and plasma DNA concentration (P < 0.05). Conclusion: After taking into account hypertension and other potential risk factors, persons with high plasma DNA concentrations (>8 µg/L) had approximately fourfold higher odds of OSA than those with low DNA levels. Further data are warranted to confirm the association for men and to evaluate the association for women.