• Sleep Medicine and Psychophysiology
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.86-91
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• 2007

Background: Actigraphy is a reliable and valid method for assessing sleep in normal, healthy populations, but it may be less reliable and valid for detecting disturbed sleep in patients. In this study, we attempted to assess the utility of actigraphy in the estimation of sleep quality in patients with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS), a major sleep disorder. Method: We analyzed the data of patients who underwent polysomnography (PSG) and actigraphy simultaneously for one night at the Center for Sleep and Chronobiology, Seoul National University Hospital from November 2004 to March 2006. Eighty-nine subjects with OSAS alone and 21 subjects with OSAS and periodic limb movement disorder (PLMD) were included for final data analyses between groups. Polysomnographic and actigraphic data were also compared. Results: In subjects with mild OSAS (RDI<15), modretae ($15{\leq}RDI$<30), and OSAS with PLMD, PSG and actigraphy did not show significant difference in total sleep time and sleep efficiency. However in severe ($30{\leq}RDI$) OSAS subjects, PSG and actigraphy showed significant difference in total sleep time and sleep efficiency. In all patients, no correlations were found between sleep parameters from PSG and from those using actigraphy. Conclusions: We suggest that in severe OSAS patients, PSG is the diagnostic tool. In mild and moderate cases, actigraphy might be used as a screening tool.

• Sleep Medicine and Psychophysiology
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.5-10
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• 2006

Alcohol has extensive effects on sleep and daytime sleepiness. Alcohol has a sleep inducing effect and the effect of increased non-REM sleep and suppressed REM sleep during the first half portion of night sleep, but alcohol induces the effect of decreased non-REM sleep and increased light sleep and frequent awakenings and REM rebound during the second half portion of night sleep. Alcohol provokes chronobiological change such as the changes of amplitude or the phase shifts of hormones or core body temperature. The sleep disruption resulting from alcohol drinking may lead to daytime fatigue and sleepiness. The elderly are at particular in the increased risk of alcohol-related sleep disorders because they achieve higher levels of alcohol in the blood and brain than do younger adults after consuming an equivalent dose. Bedtime alcohol consumption among older adults may lead to unsteadiness if walking is attempted during the night, with increased risk of falls and injuries. Continued alcohol use for sleep induction often induces aggravation of insomnia, alcoholism or sleep related breathing disorders such as obstructive sleep apnea. Alcohol should not be used as substitution of sleep pill because of the dependence and tolerance for sleep inducing effect, and the sleep disruption produced by alcohol withdrawal.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Laboratory Science
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• v.45 no.2
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• pp.73-76
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• 2013

Uvulopalatopharyngoplasty (UPPP) is one possibility for the treatment of Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA). The aim of this study was study the analysis of polysomnography of pre-UPPP and post-UPPP. All patients were evaluated by means of a physical examination, the epworth sleepiness scale (ESS), the beck depression inventory (BDI) and the nocturnal polysomnography (PSG) before surgery, and 6~12 months after surgery. A total of 15 patients were investigated. All underwent UPPP. The patients were between 26 and 62 years old ($mean{\pm}SD$; $39.7{\pm}10.9$) with a lean body mass index (BMI) of $mean{\pm}SD$; $26.2{\pm}3.0kg/m^2$. The comparison of sleep questionnaires showed that after UPPP, the patients had a significantly lower BMI ($26.2{\pm}3.0kg/m^2$ vs $26.0{\pm}3.4kg/m^2$, p=0.241), ESS ($10.0{\pm}5.4$ vs $6.9{\pm}3.2$, p=0.022), BDI ($9.2{\pm}8.2$ vs $4.2{\pm}4.3$, p=0.343) and higher blood pressure ($127.5{\pm}12.1$ vs $123.7{\pm}12.0$, p=0.272) compared to before UPPP. The comparison of sleep parameters showed that after UPPP, patients had a significantly lower stage N1 ($108.8{\pm}53.1$ vs $82.2{\pm}48.9$, p=0.016), lower sleep latency ($4.9{\pm}4.4$ vs $2.0{\pm}1.7$, p=0.083), a lower total arousal number ($210.6{\pm}90.3$ vs $147.1{\pm}87.3$, p=0.019), lower oxygen desaturation index (ODI) ($30.2{\pm}20.9$ vs $10.2{\pm}15.1$, p=0.006), lower apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) ($31.6{\pm}22.4$ vs $10.9{\pm}15.4$, p=0.005), and a lower respiratory disturbance index (RDI) ($37.4{\pm}21.3$ vs $18.5{\pm}16.5$, p=0.008) compared to after UPPP. The comparison of sleep parameters showed that after UPPP, patients had a significantly higher stage N2 ($154.0{\pm}39.9$ vs $180.5{\pm}49.5$, p=0.017), higher REM ($58.5{\pm}29.7$ vs $72.6{\pm}34.0$, p=0.249), higher $meanSaO_2$ ($94.3{\pm}2.0$ vs $95.9{\pm}0.9$, p=0.043), and higher $meanSaO_2$ ($79.3{\pm}8.5$ vs $83.1{\pm}7.9$, p=0.116) than before UPPP. After UPPP, 6 patients were cured, 2 showed marked improvement, and 7 did not improve. After surgery, the success of the treatment was at 53%. The subjective patient satisfaction was higher than before the surgery.

• Sleep Medicine and Psychophysiology
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.92-98
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• 2007

Objectives: Obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) is the most common form of sleep-disordered breathing and often presents with comorbid depressive symptoms. In this study, we evaluated the relationship between depressive symptoms and sleep parameters as measured by nocturnal polysomnography (NPSG) and simultaneous wrist actigraphy. Methods: Two hundred sixty-four subjects with clinically suspected cases of OSAS underwent one-night polysomnography, while simultaneously wearing a wrist actigraphy device. They also completed two questionnaires；the Epworth Sleepiness Scale-Korean version (ESS-K) and the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI). Of the cases studied, 105 subjects were proven by NSPG to have OSAS without other sleep disorders. NPSG and wrist actigraphy data from the subjects were analyzed. Pearson correlation and paired t-test were used in order to evaluate the relationship between depressive symptoms and sleep-parameters. Results: Mean age of the subjects was $46.1{\pm}13.1$ years. Means of the ESS-K score and BDI scores were $10.9{\pm}4.7$ and $12.8{\pm}8.1$, respectively. NPSG sleep parameters significantly differed from those of wrist actigraphy. There was no correlation found between subjects' respiratory disturbance index (RDI) and BDI scores. When directly comparing sleep parameters between subjects who were more depressed versus subjects who were less depressed, both total sleep time and sleep efficiency were decreased in the more depressed. A correlation between RDI and ESS-K scores was also found in the more depressed group. Conclusions: Although our findings suggest that there is no relationship between RDI and depressive symptoms, there are other significant differences in the sleep parameters between subjects who are more depressed versus those without depression. We recommend that patients with depression should also be evaluated for clinical symptoms of OSAS.

• Sleep Medicine and Psychophysiology
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.34-42
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• 2000

Objectives: Periodic limb movements in sleep(PLMS) is a moderately prevalent disorder, of which pathophysiology remains largely unknown. PLMS has been reported to be common in patients with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome(OSAS), but reports on their relationship have been inconsistent in previous studies. Inconsistency of results may be attributable to insufficient number of the study subjects. We attempted to explore the influence of OSAS on PLMS in a large number of subjects. Methods: Three hundred and twenty subjects(M : F=192:128) with PLMS, as identified by the nocturnal polysomnography, were studied. Sample mean age was 53.1(SD=15.1) years and their mean periodic limb movement index(PLMI) is 25.2/hr (SD=24.8). PLMS subjects were divided into two groups, based on the presence or absence of OSAS. Periodic limb movement indices and sleep parameters between two groups were analyzed to evaluate the effects of OSAS on PLMS. Results: Each of PLMI and PLMI with arousal(PLMAI) correlated positively with age. PLMI of men was larger than that of women (p<0.01). The presence of comorbid OSAS independently had influence on PLMI(t=-2.20, p<0.05), but not PLMAI. There were no significant differences between the two groups in their PLMI, PLMAI and sleep parameters. However, the two groups differed in PLMI-correlated sleep parameters. In PLMS subjects with comorbid OSAS, PLMI was negatively correlated with each of slow wave sleep time and REM sleep time. In subjects without comorbid OSAS, PLMI was negatively correlated with sleep efficiency. Conclusion: PLMS patients with OSAS turned out to have increased PLMI than those without OSAS We suggest that OSAS patients may have subtle autonomic arousals and these arousals could, in part, express themselves as PLM.

• Sleep Medicine and Psychophysiology
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.65-73
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• 2009

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to assess the clinical and polysomnographic characteristics of Korean patients with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS), especially in relation to differences due to age and gender. Methods: All subjects were consecutive patients who were proven to have OSAS with nocturnal polysomnography. They were interviewed with a structured interview format including sociodemographic information, past medical history, medication, and sleep-related history. Simultaneously, they were also given Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) and Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS) to answer in order to check subjective sleep quality and subjective sleepiness. Results: Mean age of the 308 subjects was $49.5{\pm}$13.3 years, with 77.6% of the subjects being males and 22.4% of the subjects being females. The aging effects on the sleep architecture in Korean OSAS corresponded with normal aging, but with the effect of OSAS itself superimposed, the extent of aging effects was more marked than that of normal aging. The severity of Korean patients of OSAS was not correlated with age. When divided into age subgroups, significant correlation was found between RDI and BMI in patients of each subgroup of those in the 4th to 7th decades. The oldest subgroup (>70 years) described their subjective sleep quality as poorer than any other age subgroups, despite of less subjective drowsiness. The severity of OSAS and the change of sleep architecture of male subjects turned out to be severer than those of female ones. The female/male ratio of the subjects tended to increase with aging. Conclusions: The aging effect on the sleep architecture in Korean OSAS seems to be a mixture of the changes by normal aging and sleep disorder per se. The severity of OSAS was not correlated with age, but highly correlated with BMI. The severity of OSAS and the change of sleep architecture of male patients were severer than those of female ones.

• The korean journal of orthodontics
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• v.30 no.3 s.80
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• pp.287-296
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• 2000

It is well known that oral appliance could improve respiratory difficulty in patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). To evaluate the effect of oral appliance, polysomnography and cephalometry were performed in OSA patients before and after oral appliance was used. Twenty four OSA patients were included in this study. Respiratory difficulty index (RDI) was obtained from polysomnography and the movement of soft palate, tongue, posterior pharygeal wall, hyoid bone, and mandible and the variables of the facial pattern were measured on the cephalogram. The changes of cephalometric parameters were compared to the RDI changes and the correlation was tested. After oral appliance was used, RDI decreased from 46.8 to 13.3. There was significant relationship between RDI improvement and the anterior movement of the mandible and superior movement of the hyoid bone. In 8 patients whose RDI was most improved, RDI improvement rate was correlated with the anterior movement of the tongue and anterior-posterior (AP) diameter of the airway at the levels between the lower portion of the soft palate and epiglottis. These results could conclude that anterior movement of the tongue and superior movement of the hyoid bone would be favorable cephalometric parameters for the improvement of OSA.

• Korean Journal of Radiology
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• v.20 no.4
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• pp.631-640
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• 2019

Objective: To evaluate the value of airway computed tomography (CT) in patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) as a predictor of cerebrocardiovascular disease (CCVD) clinically, by quantitatively analyzing carotid arterial calcification (CarAC). Materials and Methods: This study included 287 patients aged 40-80 years, who had undergone both polysomnography (PSG) and airway CT between March 2011 and October 2015. The carotid arterial calcium score (CarACS) was quantified using the modified Agatston method on each upper airway CT. The OSA severity was categorized as normal, mild, moderate, and severe using the PSG results. Clinical characteristics, comorbid diseases, and lipid profiles of all patients were analyzed, and the prevalence of CCVDs was investigated during the follow up period (52.2 ± 16.0 months). Results: CCVD occurred in 27 patients (9.3%) at the end of follow-up, and the CCVD-present groups showed a significantly older mean age (57.5 years vs. 54.2 years), higher prevalence of hypertension (59% vs. 34%) and CarAC (51.9% vs. 20.8%), whereas sex, other comorbid diseases, and severity of OSA were not significantly different from the CCVD-absent group. A univariate analysis showed that age, hypertension, incidence of CarAC, and CarACS were risk factors for the occurrence of CCVD events. In a multivariate analysis, the incidence of CarAC was the only independent risk factor for CCVD. Conclusion: CarAC is an independent risk factor for CCVD, whereas the severity of OSA is not a contributory risk factor in patients with OSA. Therefore, additional analysis of CarACS based on airway CT scans may be useful for predicting CCVD.

• Sleep Medicine and Psychophysiology
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• v.3 no.1
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• pp.85-95
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• 1996

Obstructive sleep apnea syndrome(OSAS) in childhood is unique and different n-om that in adulthood in several aspects, including pathophysiology, clinical features, diagnostic criteria, complications, management, and prognosis. Characteristic features of childhood OSAS in comparison with the adult form are the variety of severe complications such as developmental delay, more prominent behavioral and cognitive impairments, vivid cardiovascular symptoms, and increased death risk, warranting a special attention to the possible diagnosis of OSAS in children who snore. However, the childhood OSAS is often neglected and unrecognized. We, therefore, report a case of very severe OSAS in a 5-year-old boy who was sucessfully treated with continuous positive airway pressure(CPAP) treatment. Interestingly, the patient was comor-bid with the attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Prior to the initial visit to us, adenotonsillectomy had been done at the age of 4 with no significant improvement of apneic symptoms and heavy snoring. On the initial diagnostic procedures, marked degree of snoring was audible even in the daytime wake state and the patient was observed to be very hyperactive. Increased pulmonary vascularity with borderline cardiomegaly was noted on chest X-ray. The baseline polysomnography revealed that the patient was very sleep-apneic and snored very heavily, with the respiratory disturbance index(RDI) of 46.9 per hour of sleep, the mean SaO2 of 78.8%, and the lowest SaO2 of 40.0%(the lowest detectable oxygen level by the applied oxymeter). The second night polysomnography was done for CPAP titration and the optimal pressure turned out to be $8.0\;cmH_2O$. The applied CPAP treatment was well tolerated by the patient and was found to be very effective in alleviating heavy snoring and severe repetitive sleep apneas. After 18 months of the CPAP treatment, the patient was followed up with nocturnal polysomnography(baseline and CPAP nights) and clinical examination. Sleep apneas were still present without CPAP on the baseline night. However, the severity of OSAS was significantly decreased(RDI of 15.7, mean SaO2 of 96.2%, and the lowest SaO2 of 83.0%), compared to the initial polysomnographic findings before initiation of long-term CPAP treatment. Wechsler intelligence tests done before and after the CPAP treatment were compared with each other and surprising improvement of intelligence(total 9 points, performance 16 points) was noted. Clinically he was found to be markedly improved in his attention deficit hyperactive behavior after CPAP treatment, but with minimal change of TOVA(test of variables of attention) scores except conversion of reaction time score into normal range. On the chest X-ray taken after 18 months of CPAP application, the initial cardiopulmonary abnormalities were not found at all. We found that the CPAP treatment in a young child is very effective, safe, and well-tolerated and also improves the co-morbid attention deficit hyperactive symptoms. Overall, the growth and development of the child has been facilitated with the long-term use of CPAP. Cardiovascular complications induced by OSAS have been also normalized with CPAP treatment. We suggest that early diagnosis and active treatment intervention of OSAS in children are crucial in preventing and ameliorating possible serious complications caused by repetitive sleep apneas and consequent hypoxic damage during sleep.

• Sleep Medicine and Psychophysiology
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.103-110
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• 1998

Objectives : High co-morbidity of periodic limb movements during sleep(PLMS) and obstructive sleep apnea syndrome(OSAS) is well known and their incidences tend to increase in the elderly. Previous studies have inconsistently rep0l1ed increase or no change of periodic limb movement index(PLMI) by nasal continuous positive airway pressure(CPAP) in OSAS without analyzing possible variables affecting PLMI. We attempted to examine PLMI change evoked during CPAP titration and also factors affecting it in OSAS. Methods : Twenty-nine OSAS patients(M:F=26:3, mean age: $51.6{\pm}10.6\;yrs$) without other sleep disorders except for PLMS were selected, based on the nocturnal (baseline) polysomnograhy. Another night of noctumal polysomnography was performed for CPAP pressure titration. We compared between those two nights PLMI, mean and lowest $SaO_2$, and sleep variables. We also calculated PLMI differences between baseline and CPAP nights, named as delta PLMI (value of CPAP night PLMI minus value of baseline night PLMI). Correlations were calculated between delta PLMI and factors such as age, body mass index, applied CPAP pressure, baseline night values of respiratory disturbance index, mean and lowest $SaO_2$, and sleep parameter differences between baseline and CPAP nights. Results : Decrease of RDI(p<.01) and increase in mean and lowest $SaO_2$ (p<.05, p<.01) were observed during CPAP night. No sleep parameters showed significant change except for the decrease of total stage 1 sleep%(p<.01) during CPAP night. Ten out of 29 patients showed PLMI increase, while the other 19 patients showed either no change(n=14) or even PLMI decrease(n=5) during CPAP night. The 10 patients showing PLMI increase during CPAP night showed a significant positive correlation between delta PLMI and baseline night RDI(p<.05), which meant that PLMI increase was found to be more prominent in higher RDI patients than in lower RDI ones. There were no significant correlations between delta PLMI and other factors in the other 19 patients. Conclusions : We suggest that during the baseline night PLMS would have been underscored and/or masked due to the overlapping of PLMS and apneas/hypopneas or the arousals induced by apneas/hypopneas. Despite its still unknown mechanism, the CPAP application may unmask PLMS and increase PLMI in a subgroup of OSAS patients. It needs to be evaluated further whether the chronic CPAP use sustains the above finding.