Upper airway dynamics during negative expiratory pressure in awake snorers
Author Information
Author(s): Ferretti A, Giampiccolo P, Redolfi S, Mondini S, Cirignotta F, Cavalli A, Tantucci C
Primary Institution: Division of Pneumology, S. Orsola-Malpighi Hospital, Bologna, Italy
Hypothesis
The ability of negative expiratory pressure (NEP) technique to differentiate between awake snorers with and without obstructive sleep apnea-hypopnea (OSAH) was investigated.
Conclusion
The awake OSAH patients exhibit values of V,NEP0.5 and V,NEP1 lesser than those of awake snorers, but the NEP technique has limited usefulness as a clinical tool for routine screening of OSAH patients during wakefulness.
Supporting Evidence
- Patients with severe OSAH had lower V,NEP0.5 compared to snorers and controls.
- An inverse correlation with AHI was found for V,NEP0.5 in severe OSAH patients.
- The NEP technique showed similar results for V,NEP1 in either position.
Takeaway
Doctors used a special breathing test to see how snorers and people with sleep apnea breathe when they're awake. They found that people with sleep apnea breathe differently, but the test isn't good enough to tell who has sleep apnea just by looking at their breathing.
Methodology
Forty-eight subjects with sleep disordered breathing and 7 healthy subjects underwent NEP application of -5 and -7 cmH2O in seated and supine positions during wakefulness.
Limitations
The NEP technique cannot reliably distinguish between apneic and non-apneic snorers due to overlapping values.
Participant Demographics
Subjects included 48 awake male subjects with sleep disordered breathing and 7 healthy male controls.
Statistical Information
P-Value
p < 0.001
Statistical Significance
p < 0.01
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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