Increased Flow Limitation During Sleep Is Associated With Increased Psychomotor Vigilance Task Lapses in Individuals With Suspected OSA

Increased flow limitation during sleep is associated with decreased psychomotor vigilance task performance in individuals with suspected obstructive sleep apnea: a multi-cohort study

“…Flow limitation was associated with PVT speed independent of Epworth Sleepiness Scale score, sex, and age ( Supplementary Table S5 ). The AHI was not associated with PVT performance, consistent with other studies [ 2 , 3 ].…”

“…First, EEG microstructure during sleep might be modified due to flow limitation, resulting in daytime hypovigilance [ 10 ]. Second, flow limitation may cause hypercapnia and acute respiratory acidosis leading to cognitive impairment that persists throughout the day [ 3 , 11 ]. Third, flow limitation may cause increased work of breathing leading to daytime fatigue [ 2 ].…”

“…Of the 1687 studies available, 488 were recorded at the Stanford Sleep Medicine Center (Redwood City, United States) and contained unfiltered nasal pressure airflow needed for analysis. In addition to previously described exclusion reasons [ 3 ], participants with < 2 hours of total analyzable sleep time or a primary suspicion other than sleep-related breathing disorder were excluded, resulting in 324 analyzed participants ( Supplementary Figure S1 ).…”

“…We recently quantified the association between overnight flow limitation and vigilance using data from 998 individuals with suspected OSA who undertook both PVT and diagnostic polysomnography at the Princess Alexandra Hospital in Brisbane, Australia (“PA cohort”) [ 3 ]. We found that the burden of flow limitation during sleep was associated with vigilance impairment, independent of the AHI and other domains of OSA pathology such as arousal severity and hypoxemia severity.…”

Effects of common lifestyle factors on obstructive sleep apnea: precautions in daily life based on causal inferences

“…Smoking has been linked to a direct contribution to upper airway inflammation, a factor known to heighten the susceptibility to episodes of sleep apnea ( 5 ). Alcohol relaxes muscles, including the muscles in the throat, which can lead to increased airway collapse during sleep ( 6 , 7 ). This relaxation contributes to the development or worsening of OSA.…”