• Annals of Clinical Neurophysiology
• /
• v.11 no.2
• /
• pp.54-58
• /
• 2009

Background: Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is associated with several cardiovascular diseases. However, the mechanisms are not completely understood. The measure of common carotid artery intima-media thickness (IMT) has been extensively used as an early marker of atherosclerosis. The aim of this study was to test the hypothesis that early signs of atherosclerosis are present in patients with OSA and correlate with OSA severity Methods: Eleven male patients with OSA were studied by using full standard overnight polysomnography and high-definition echo-tracking device to measure intima-media thickness and carotid artery diameter. Eight healthy volunteers matched for age and sex were studied by portable respiratory monitoring device. All participants were free of hypertension, diabetes, and were not on any medications. Patients with OSA were naive to treatment. Results: All patients and normal controls were male. There was no significant difference of age between patients and controls ($48.4{\pm}8.85$ and $48.0{\pm}9.77$). Significant differences existed between control subjects and patients with mild to moderate and severe OSA (apnea-hypopnea index, $1.51{\pm}1.15$ and $38.51{\pm}19.13$ respectively) in intima-media thickness ($0.59{\pm}0.064$ and $0.93{\pm}0.16$; P=0.0023), and carotid diameter ($5.79{\pm}0.44$ and $6.47{\pm}0.51$; P=0.0227). Multivariate analyses showed that the apnea-hypopnea index correlated independently with intima-media thickness and carotid diameter (r=0.79, P=0.0008, and r=0.47, P=0.0482). Conclusions: Middle-aged patients with OSA who are free of overt cardiovascular diseases have early signs of atherosclerosis, which further supports the hypothesis that OSA plays an independent role in atherosclerosis progression.

• Journal of Oral Medicine and Pain
• /
• v.23 no.4
• /
• pp.419-432
• /
• 1998

The purpose of this Study was to examine the efficacy and compliance of a mandibular advancement device(MAD) according to the severity of sleep apnea in the snorers and obstructive sleep apnea patients. Fifty-four patients (45 males, 9 females, aged 20 - 68years ) who visited Seoul National Uiversity Dental Hospital(SNUDH) to seek for the treatment of snoring and sleep apnea were classified into four groups according to the results of the nocturnal polysomnography and they were instructed to wear MAD regularly which was designed to increase the size of the upper airway by advancing the mandible. The evaluation of the efficacy and compliance of the MAD according to the severity of apnea and the duration after the usage of MAD ( 1week, 1month, 3months, 6months, 12months) was made by using quesionnaires mad in Department of Oral Medicine and Oral diagnosis, SNUDH. The obtained results were as follows : 1. All subjects results were habitual snoreres and 43 patients(79.6%) complained the loudness of snoring that can be heard out of the room. 2. Apnea index(AI) of the total subjects was mean 29.4$\pm$26.9 and respiratory disturbance index(RDI)was mean 37.6$\pm$28.0. And there was nodifference in the efficacy and the compliances of MAD according to the severity of apnea. 3. The severityi of apnea by the questionnaires significantly corresponded with the results of nocturnal polysomnography, and this fact potentiated the diagnostic value of the questionnaire. 4. after the usage of MAD, there was significant improvement in the frequency of snoring, the loudness of snoring, frequency of apnea, daytime sleepiness nad the refreshment after sleep(p<0.001) regardless of the apnea index(AI) and respiratory distrubance index(RDI). 5. The degree of the satisfaction with MAD was mean 74.4$\pm$18.4% and that of the discomfort with the MAD was 31.4$\pm$19.6%. But there was no serious complication in occlusion and temporomandibular joint with the usage of MAD and the duration of the discomfort was mean 3.3$\pm$2.2 weeks. 6. Forty-one patients(75.9%) continued the usage of MAD but thirteen patients(24.1%) stopped the use of MAD because of the discomforts and insufficient results with it.

• Sleep Medicine and Psychophysiology
• /
• v.27 no.2
• /
• pp.56-66
• /
• 2020

Objectives: In this study, the clinical characteristics of OSA patients and the quality of life before and after CPAP use were compared to determine the degree of improvement in quality of life according to CPAP use. Methods: Age, sex, height, weight, body mass index, Epworth Sleepiness Scale, Modified Mallampatti Score, Montreal Cognitive Assessment-Korean, and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index were compared between men and women through medical records. To understand the degree of improvement in quality of life resulting from use of CPAP, a personal telephone call was made to compare the VAS scores for quality of life before and after CPAP use. Results: In height (HT) (Z = -4.525, p < 0.001), weight (BW) (Z = -2.844, p < 0.05), sleep quality (PSQI) (Z = -2.671, p < 0.05), and arousal index (AI) (Z = -2.105, p < 0.05), there was a difference between men and women (p < 0.05). There was no difference in the remaining variables. Cross-analysis (Chi-square test) confirmed a difference between severity and sex of OSA. It has been found that there is no statistically significant order in size according to level-specific severity of OSA for PreCPAP QOL, PostCPAP QOL, CPAPUse Months, and CPAP4Hr/d (%) (p > 0.05). The difference between AHI before and after CPAP was 36.48 ± 21.54 (t = 11.609, p < 0.001) and the difference between QOL before and after CPAP was -25.43 ± 22.06 (t = -7.901, p < 0.001), both of which were significant (p < 0.001). Conclusion: Among OSA patients, there were differences in height (HT), weight (BW), sleep quality (PSQI), arousal index (AI), and severity of OSA between men and women, but the quality of life before and after CPAP was different. However, there was no difference between men and women in quality of life before and after CPAP. In addition, quality of life in OSA patients improved after using CPAP.

• Sleep Medicine and Psychophysiology
• /
• v.20 no.1
• /
• pp.35-40
• /
• 2013

Objectives: The aim of this study is to evaluate the polysomnographic characteristics and prescription status of restless legs syndrome (RLS) patients in naturalistic setting. Methods: We reviewed medical record of the patients over 18 years olds who (i) satisfied the clinical RLS diagnostic criteria and (ii) had the polysomnography and got treatment related thereto. As a baseline, we evaluated the four diagnostic criteria of the International Restless Legs Syndrome Study Group (IRLSSG) and the International Restless Legs Scale (IRLS) of the subjects. Then the polysomnography and the suggested immobilization test (SIT) were conducted and, after one month of pharmacotherapy using dopamine agonist, the IRLS was evaluated again. Results: A total of 211 subjects participated in this analysis and 94 (44.5%) of them were male and the other 117 (55.5%) were female and the average age of the 211 subjects was $46.9{\pm}14.2$. Out of such 211 subjects, 136 subjects (64.5%) also had the obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), and 53 subjects (25.1%) also had the periodic limb movement disorder (PLMD). 185 subjects (87.7%) out of the 211 subjects had some other sleep disorders except RLS. The results of the polysomnography were as follows : 78.0% of sleep efficiency, 86.8 min of wake after sleep onset, and 3.4% of N3. More specifically, 12.4/h of the average apnea hypopnea index, 14.8/h of the periodic limb movement during sleep (PLMS), 41.2/h of the periodic limb movement during wake during SIT and 21.6/h of total arousal index during sleep. Out of the total subjects, 149 (70.6%) of them took the ropinirole and 47 (22.3%) of them took the pramipexole, and the average dosage of ropinirole was 0.9mg(dosage range 0.125-5 mg) while the average dosage of pramipexole was 0.5 mg (dosage range 0.125-4 mg). The dosage of the ropinirole showed a significant positive correlation with the age (r=0.25, p=0.002) and also with the IRLS (r=0.23, p=0.038). The IRLS at the baseline was 24.9 while the same was decreased down to 13.4 after one month. Conclusions: Analyzing the result of this study, a majority of clinical RLS subjects demonstrated comorbidity with some other sleep disorder such as the OSA or PLMD. 25.1% of the subjects showed a PLMD, which was less than in previous researches and the average PLMS was not very high as 14.8/h. The dosage of dopamine agonist taken was often a bit more than the amount recommended in Korea. A prospective research using a large scale controlled subjects will be necessary with respect to this topic.