Screening for treatment-required sleep apnoea in patients with spinal cord injury within one year after injury in a rehabilitation setting.

PURPOSE: The current study aims to assess the efficacy of the Stop-Bang Questionnaire (SBQ) in screening treatment-required sleep apnoea following Spinal Cord Injury (SCI). Additionally, we explore the performance of combined questionnaires and pulse oximetry to determine the most cost-effective method. METHODS: The study employs a cross-sectional observational design. All patients admitted to in-hospital rehabilitation at the Spinal Cord Injury Centre of Western Denmark from September 2022 to February 2023 were continuously enrolled. Participating patients underwent SBQ screening, a standard sleep questionnaire, and cardiorespiratory monitoring, followed by an individual consultation with a physician. RESULTS: During the study period, 35 SCI patients were admitted, with 24 providing informed consent. Among the 24 included patients, there was a 75% prevalence of mild to severe sleep apnoea, and 46% had treatment-required sleep apnoea. The SBQ missed only one patient with treatment-required sleep apnoea but misclassified eight patients. Combining SBQ with the pulse oximetry demonstrated the best performance in identifying patients with sleep apnoea. CONCLUSION: The study indicates that SBQ alone is insufficient for screening treatment-required sleep apnoea. Exploratory analysis suggests that combining SBQ with a simple pulse oximetry measurement might enhance accuracy.

European Achondroplasia Forum Practical Considerations for Following Adults with Achondroplasia.

Achondroplasia is a lifelong condition requiring lifelong management. There is consensus that infants and children with achondroplasia should be managed by a multidisciplinary team experienced in the condition. However, many people are lost to follow-up after the transition from paediatric to adult care, and there is no standardised approach for management in adults, despite the recent availability of international consensus guidelines. To address this, the European Achondroplasia Forum has developed a patient-held checklist to support adults with achondroplasia in managing their health. The checklist highlights key symptoms of spinal stenosis and obstructive sleep apnoea, both among the most frequent and potentially severe medical complications in adults with achondroplasia. The checklist acts as a framework to support individuals and their primary care provider in completing a routine review. General advice on issues such as blood pressure, pain, hearing, weight, adaptive aids, and psychosocial aspects are also included. The checklist provides key symptoms to be aware of, in addition to action points so that people can approach their primary care provider and be directed to the appropriate specialist, if needed. Additionally, the European Achondroplasia Forum offers some ideas on implementing the checklist during the transition from paediatric to adult care, thus ensuring the existing multidisciplinary team model in place during childhood can support in engaging individuals and empowering them to take responsibility for their own care as they move into adulthood.

The Role of Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) Therapy in Obstructive Sleep Apnea With Metabolic Syndrome: Does It Affect the Outcomes?

Background Of all fatalities occurring globally each year caused by noncommunicable diseases, obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and obesity are associated with an increased risk of sudden death and cardiovascular mortality. Metabolic syndrome and its comorbidities are linked to OSA. The three essential elements of the metabolic syndrome are improper lipid metabolism, hypertension, and insulin resistance. The effect of continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) on metabolic syndrome elements and related symptoms and whether CPAP therapy helps reverse the syndrome was studied. Methods The present study is prospective pre-post research conducted at a tertiary care center in Nagpur, Hingna, India. The cases included were of moderate to severe or worse OSA, older than 18 years, willing for CPAP therapy with no previous or current CPAP therapy. They had a history of excessive drowsiness during the day. The cases excluded from the study were those with an active, persistent breathing ailment requiring treatment, intervention, or diagnosis of dyslipidemia, diabetes mellitus, or hypertension, past or present, or evidence of damage to the vital end organs. Components of the metabolic syndrome were assessed at the beginning and end of three months of CPAP therapy. Findings Eighty-five cases were enrolled in the study, of which 79 completed it. The majority of cases were male, comprising 48 individuals, accounting for 60.8% of the total cohort. Additionally, 54 cases, representing 68.4% of the group, had hypertension. The average age of the participants was 53.95 years ± 6.84 years. The BMI mean was 30.4 kg/m2 ± 4.642, with a waist-hip ratio of 0.964 ± 0.056 and a neck circumference of 40.66 cm ± 3.37. The study population scored 12.53 ± 2,616 on the Epworth Sleepiness Scale. The study population's apnea-hypopnea index/respiratory disturbance index ratio was 16.118 ± 4.868, a moderate risk score. After three months of CPAP therapy, there was a significant improvement in glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c), tetraiodothyronine (T4), high-density lipoprotein (HDL), and oxygen desaturation, and they were also statistically significant. In the study group, there was a decrease in systolic and diastolic blood pressure of 2.21 mm Hg and 0.26 mm Hg, respectively. Other indicators, including HbA1c, fasting and post-meal blood sugar, triglycerides, and HDL cholesterol, were significantly lower. We observed in the less than 50-year-old age group better improvement in systolic blood pressure of 0.49 mm Hg, diastolic blood pressure improvement of 0.32 mm Hg, and fasting blood sugar improvement of 14.59 mg/dl, and in the age group of more than 50, better improvements in post-meal blood sugar of 9.7 mg/dl, along with a statistically significant change in triglyceride with an improvement of 16.26 mg/dl, P value less than 0.05. Interpretation After three months of CPAP therapy, there was a significant improvement in HbA1c, T4, HDL, and oxygen desaturation, and they were also statistically significant. Fourteen (17.72%) cases of post-CPAP therapy no longer met the requirements for the syndrome. There was an improvement in the blood pressure's diastolic and systolic values, fasting and post-prandial sugar levels, HbA1C, and triglyceride levels. Patients over 50 years old showed better improvement in post-meal and triglyceride levels. Females improved blood pressure and triglycerides, whereas males responded better to blood sugar levels.

Coblation intracapsular tonsillectomy in a paediatric tertiary centre: Revision surgery rates over a nine-year period.

OBJECTIVES: Coblation intracapsular tonsillectomy (ICT) is increasingly being used in the paediatric population because of the rapid recovery and low rates of complications associated with it. There is, however, a risk of symptomatic regrowth with this technique. The objective of our study is to establish the rate of, and risks for, revision surgery over time in a major tertiary referral centre with a large cohort of paediatric Coblation ICT cases. METHODS: A retrospective review of all children (0-19 years) undergoing Coblation ICT from April 2013 to June 2022 was undertaken, using electronic databases and clinical records. Post-operative follow up was reviewed and revision cases were subsequently identified and examined. Statistical analysis was performed using a Chi-Squared test. RESULTS: 4111 patients underwent Coblation ICT during the studied period, with or without concomitant adenoidectomy. Of these, 135 (3.3 %) required revision tonsil surgery, primarily for recurrence of initial symptoms; two patients required two consecutive revision procedures (137 revision procedures in total). Eight-eight (n = 88) (64 %) of these were revised with a repeat Coblation ICT procedure and 49 (36 %) with bipolar diathermy extracapsular tonsillectomy (ECT) of remnant tonsil tissue. The revision rates after Coblation ICT declined steeply on a year-on-year basis since the commencement of this technique (from 10.6 % early on, to 0.3 % at the end of the study period P<0.001). A significantly higher revision rate was noted in children below the age of two at the time of primary surgery, compared to those older than two years of age (P<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrates real-world departmental revision rates over a nine-year period from the technique's commencement of use. With Coblation ICT, symptomatic re-growth occurs rarely, but may be clinically significant, with higher rates of recurrent symptoms seen in children under two years of age at the time of primary surgery. The revision rate apparently drops over time in parallel with overall experience of surgeons and formalised training.

Establishing a telehealth model addressing paediatric sleep health in remote and rural Northern Territory Australia: Overcoming the distance barrier.

AIM: This study examined the outcomes of a telehealth model for sleep health assessment among Indigenous and non-Indigenous children residing in remote and regional communities at the Top End Northern Territory (NT) of Australia. METHODS: Video telehealth consultation, that included clinical history and relevant physical findings assessed virtually with an interstate paediatric sleep physician was conducted remotely. Polysomnography (PSG) and therapeutic interventions were carried out locally at Darwin, NT. The study participants were children referred between 2015 and 2020. RESULTS: Of the total 812 children referred for sleep assessment, 699 underwent a diagnostic PSG. The majority of patients were female (63%), non-Indigenous (81%) and resided in outer regional areas (88%). Indigenous children were significantly older and resided in remote or very remote locations (22% vs. 10%). Referral patterns differed according to locality and Indigenous status - (non-Indigenous via private (53%), Indigenous via public system (35%)). Receipt of referrals to initial consultation was a median of 16 days and 4 weeks from consult to PSG. Remote children had slightly longer time delay between the referral and initial consult (32 vs. 15 days). Fifty one percent were diagnosed to have OSA, 27% underwent adenotonsillectomy and 2% were prescribed with CPAP therapy. CONCLUSIONS: This study has demonstrated that a telehealth model can be an effective way in overcoming logistical barriers and in providing sleep health services to children in remote and regional Australia. Further innovative efforts are needed to improve the service model and expand the reach for vulnerable children in very remote communities.

Cerebral perfusion is not impaired in persons with moderate obstructive sleep apnoea when awake.

PURPOSE: It is well established that, together with a multitude of other adverse effects on health, severe obstructive sleep apnoea causes reduced cerebral perfusion and, in turn, reduced cerebral function. Less clear is the impact of moderate obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA). Our aim was to determine if cerebral blood flow is impaired in people diagnosed with moderate OSA. METHODS: Twenty-four patients diagnosed with moderate OSA (15 ≤ apnoea-hypopnea index (AHI) < 30) were recruited (aged 32-72, median 59 years, 10 female). Seven controls (aged 42-73 years, median 62 years, 4 female) with an AHI < 5 were also recruited. The OSA status of all participants was confirmed at baseline by unattended polysomnography and they had an MRI arterial-spin-labelling scan of cerebral perfusion. RESULTS: Neither global perfusion nor voxel-wise perfusion differed significantly between the moderate-OSA and control groups. We also compared the average perfusion across three regional clusters, which had been found in a previous study to have significant perfusion differences with moderate-severe OSA versus control, and found no significant difference in perfusion between the two groups. The perfusions were also very close, with means of 50.2 and 51.8 mL/100 g/min for the moderate-OSAs and controls, respectively, with a negligible effect size (Cohen's d = 0.10). CONCLUSION: We conclude that cerebral perfusion is not impaired in people with moderate OSA and that cerebral flow regulatory mechanisms can cope with the adverse effects which occur in moderate OSA. This is an important factor in clinical decisions for prescription of continuous positive airway pressure therapy (CPAP).

Diagnosis and management of obstructive sleep apnoea in adults.

Obstructive sleep apnoea is the most common form of sleep-disordered breathing. It is characterised by recurrent occlusion of the airway during sleep. Ensuing apnoeas terminate in arousal from sleep and lead to non-restorative sleep, excessive daytime sleepiness and adverse cardiovascular and neurocognitive effects. A sleep study should be offered to patients reporting witnessed apnoeas or symptoms related to non-restorative sleep. It should also be considered in the presence of predisposing factors for obstructive sleep apnoea (e.g. obesity, tonsillar hypertrophy, retrognathia, refractory hypertension). Treatment should aim to improve symptoms and reduce cardiovascular and neurocognitive risk. The treatment approach should consider the symptom burden, severity, anatomical factors, and patient preference. Positive airway pressure is the most effective treatment option, although intolerance and non-adherence are common. Other options include positional therapy, oral appliances and upper airway surgery. Weight loss and optimisation of cardiovascular disease risk should be considered in selected patients.

Characterisation of Symptom and Polysomnographic Profiles Associated with Cardiovascular Risk in a Sleep Clinic Population with Obstructive Sleep Apnoea.

Aim: Recent data have identified specific symptom and polysomnographic profiles associated with cardiovascular disease (CVD) in patients with obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA). Our aim was to determine whether these profiles were present at diagnosis of OSA in patients with established CVD and in those with high cardiovascular risk. Participants in the Sydney Sleep Biobank (SSB) database, aged 30-74 years, self-reported presence of CVD (coronary artery disease, cerebrovascular disease, or heart failure). In those without established CVD, the Framingham Risk Score (FRS) estimated 10-year absolute CVD risk, categorised as "low" (<6%), "intermediate" (6-20%), or "high" (>20%). Groups were compared on symptom and polysomnographic variables. Results: 629 patients (68% male; mean age 54.3 years, SD 11.6; mean BMI 32.3 kg/m2, SD 8.2) were included. CVD was reported in 12.2%. A further 14.3% had a low risk FRS, 38.8% had an intermediate risk FRS, and 34.7% had a high risk FRS. Groups differed with respect to age, sex and BMI. OSA severity increased with established CVD and increasing FRS. The symptom of waking too early was more prevalent in the higher FRS groups (p=0.004). CVD and FRS groups differed on multiple polysomnographic variables; however, none of these differences remained significant after adjusting for age, sex, and BMI. Conclusion: Higher CVD risk was associated with waking too early in patients with OSA. Polysomnographic variations between groups were explained by demographic differences. Further work is required to explore the influence of OSA phenotypic characteristics on susceptibility to CVD.

SubSol-HIe is an AMPK-dependent hypoxia-responsive subnucleus of the nucleus tractus solitarius that coordinates the hypoxic ventilatory response and protects against apnoea in mice.

Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) suggests that the hypoxic ventilatory response is facilitated by the AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK), not at the carotid bodies, but within a subnucleus (Bregma -7.5 to -7.1 mm) of the nucleus tractus solitarius that exhibits right-sided bilateral asymmetry. Here, we map this subnucleus using cFos expression as a surrogate for neuronal activation and mice in which the genes encoding the AMPK-α1 (Prkaa1) and AMPK-α2 (Prkaa2) catalytic subunits were deleted in catecholaminergic cells by Cre expression via the tyrosine hydroxylase promoter. Comparative analysis of brainstem sections, relative to controls, revealed that AMPK-α1/α2 deletion inhibited, with right-sided bilateral asymmetry, cFos expression in and thus activation of a neuronal cluster that partially spanned three interconnected anatomical nuclei adjacent to the area postrema: SolDL (Bregma -7.44 mm to -7.48 mm), SolDM (Bregma -7.44 mm to -7.48 mm) and SubP (Bregma -7.48 mm to -7.56 mm). This approximates the volume identified by fMRI. Moreover, these nuclei are known to be in receipt of carotid body afferent inputs, and catecholaminergic neurons of SubP and SolDL innervate aspects of the ventrolateral medulla responsible for respiratory rhythmogenesis. Accordingly, AMPK-α1/α2 deletion attenuated hypoxia-evoked increases in minute ventilation (normalised to metabolism), reductions in expiration time, and increases sigh frequency, but increased apnoea frequency during hypoxia. The metabolic response to hypoxia in AMPK-α1/α2 knockout mice and the brainstem and spinal cord catecholamine levels were equivalent to controls. We conclude that within the brainstem an AMPK-dependent, hypoxia-responsive subnucleus partially spans SubP, SolDM and SolDL, namely SubSol-HIe, and is critical to coordination of active expiration, the hypoxic ventilatory response and defence against apnoea.

Evaluation of isotretinoin effects on depression, sleep apnea and sleep quality.

BACKGROUND: Isotretinoin is used to treat severe acne, treatment-resistant moderate acne, and acne that leads to scarring or psychological distress. It has many side effects and is also associated with depression, sleep apnea, and sleep disturbances. OBJECTIVES: In this study, we aimed to evaluate the effects of isotretinoin on depression, sleep apnea, and sleep quality. METHODS: A total of 42 patients diagnosed with acne and started isotretinoin treatment were included in the study. In order to compare the effects of isotretinoin, patients were asked to fill out a questionnaire containing the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), the Berlin Questionnaire (BQ), and the Pittsburg Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) at baseline and third months of treatment. RESULTS: There was no statistically significant difference in BDI, BQ, and PSQI scores between the 1st and 3rd months of treatment (p = .53, p = .5, p = .35). CONCLUSION: This study showed that isotretinoin had no significant effects on depression and sleep quality.

Prevalence of major depressive disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder among first-time sleep center attendees.

BACKGROUND: Sleep disorders and psychiatric disorders stand in a bidirectional relationship. Sleep complaints are prominent in populations with psychiatric disorders, especially amongst people with major depressive disorder (MDD) and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Consultations at sleep clinics offer opportunities to screen psychiatric disorders and to propose primary psychiatric care. METHODS: This descriptive study was conducted on 755 patients making their first visit to sleep clinic, with 574 seeking consultation for suspected obstructive sleep apnoea-hypopnoea syndrome (OSAHS), 139 for complaints of insomnia, and 42 for complaints of hypersomnia. The results of 387 screening scales for MDD (BDI-II) and 403 for TSPT (PCL-5) were compared according to the reason given for the consultation. RESULTS: In the whole group, 12.1 % of patients presented a positive MDD screening and 4.9 % for PTSD. Among patients presenting with insomnia, 19.8 % had a positive screening for MDD, as compared to 9.3 % in patients presenting with suspected OSAHS (p = 0.02). Regarding PTSD, 9.7 % of patients seeking consultation because of insomnia had a positive screening, compared to 2.9 % among patients with suspected OSAHS (p = 0.03). Among patients with a positive screening for MDD, 40.5 % were not receiving antidepressant or mood stabilizer treatment. CONCLUSION: Positive screening for MDD and PTSD are frequent in patients who attend sleep centers, especially amongst those presenting with insomnia. Nearly half of the patients with positive screening for MDD or PTSD were not receiving a dedicated pharmacological treatment. These figures emphasize systematic screening for psychiatric disorders in sleep clinics.

Impacts of mandibular setback with or without maxillary advancement for class III skeletal correction on sleep-related respiratory parameters: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

A systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted to evaluate the impacts of mandibular setback with or without maxillary advancement for class III skeletal correction on respiratory parameters measured by polysomnography (PSG) and to compare these respiratory parameters between these procedures for class III skeletal correction. Six electronic databases were searched up to June 2023. Studies comparing PSG parameters before and after orthognathic surgery for skeletal class III patients were selected for further analysis. The outcomes of interest were apnoea-hypopnea index (AHI), respiratory disturbance index (RDI), the lowest oxygen saturation (lowest SpO2), the average oxygen saturation (mean SpO2), and the 3% oxygen desaturation index (3% ODI). Data extraction, methodological quality assessment, risk of bias assessment, meta-analysis, and subgroup analysis were performed. Sixteen studies with a total of 476 patients who underwent orthognathic surgery for class III skeletal correction were included for meta-analysis. The risk of bias level was moderate for most studies. All PSG parameters before and after orthognathic surgery were not significantly different. The different surgical procedures also did not significantly affect post-operative PSG parameters. 5.8% of patients developed post-operative obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA). Most of them underwent a large distance of mandibular setback. There is a moderate level of evidence that mandibular setback with or without maxillary advancement for class III skeletal correction does not pre-dispose young and healthy patients to obstructive sleep apnoea when evaluated in the short term after surgery. However, post-operatively developed OSA was found in several isolated cases that underwent a large amount of mandibular setback with or without maxillary advancement.

Validation of self-applied unattended polysomnography using Somte V2 PSG (Somte) for diagnosis of obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) in pregnant women in early to mid-gestation.

PURPOSE: Polysomnography (PSG) may be completed in the home environment (unattended), and when self-applied, allow the collection of data with minimal healthcare worker intervention. Self-applied, unattended PSG in the home environment using Somte PSG V2 (Somte) has not been validated in pregnant women in early to mid-gestation. We undertook a study to evaluate the accuracy of Somte compared to attended PSG. The agreement between apnoea hypopnea index (AHI) and respiratory disturbance index (RDI) scores in Somte and PSG in early to mid-gestation were assessed. METHODS: Pregnant women (≤ 24 weeks gestation) were scheduled for PSG and Somte within a 7-day window, in any order. Somte were self-applied and completed in the home. Somte were scored blinded to PSG result. AHI was the primary outcome of interest, though an AHI ≥ 5 or RDI ≥ 5 on PSG was considered diagnostic of Obstructive Sleep Apnoea (OSA). AHI, RDI, sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), negative predictive value (NPV) was calculated and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were produced. Bland-Altman plots were used to determine agreement. Technical issues occurring during tests were explored. RESULTS: Twenty-four participants successfully completed both tests between March 2021 and January 2023. PSG were completed at around 14.1 weeks' gestation (IQR 13.4, 15.7). The time interval between Somte and PSG was a median of 4 days (IQR 2, 7 (range 1-12)). Five (20.8%) women had OSA on PSG at AHI ≥ 5 and 10 (41.6%) women had OSA on PSG at RDI ≥ 5. Somte and PSG did not differ in the measurement of AHI ((1.8, 1.6, p = 0.09) or RDI (3.3, 3.5), p = 0.73). At AHI ≥ 5, diagnostic test accuracy (area under the ROC curve) of Somte was 0.94, sensitivity 80.0%, specificity 94.7%, PPV and NPV were 80.0% and 94.7% respectively. At RDI ≥ 5, diagnostic test accuracy (area under the ROC curve) was 0.95, sensitivity 60.0%, specificity 93.0% and PPV and NPV were 85.7% and 76.4% respectively. The confidence limits of Bland-Altman plots were 6.37 to - 8.89 at cut off AHI ≥ 5 and 8.89 to - 10.43 at cut off RDI ≥ 5. Somte failed to start in four tests. Technical issues were reported in both Somte (n = 13, 54.2%) and PSG (n = 6, 25.0%). CONCLUSION: Self-applied, unattended Somte may provide an acceptable substitute to attended PSG in the identification of OSA in pregnant women in early to mid-gestation in this small sample but may fail to detect cases of OSA, particularly when using RDI as the diagnostic marker.

Assessment of obstructive sleep apnoea in children: What are the challenges we face?

There is an increasing demand for the assessment of sleep-disordered breathing in children of all ages to prevent the deleterious neurocognitive and behaviour consequences of the under-diagnosis and under-treatment of obstructive sleep apnoea [OSA]. OSA can be considered in three broad categories based on predominating contributory features: OSA type 1 [enlarged tonsils and adenoids], type II [Obesity] and type III [craniofacial abnormalities, syndromal, storage diseases and neuromuscular conditions]. The reality is that sleep questionnaires or calculations of body mass index in isolation are poorly predictive of OSA in individuals. Globally, the access to testing in tertiary referral centres is comprehensively overwhelmed by the demand and financial cost. This has prompted the need for better awareness and focussed history taking, matched with simpler tools with acceptable accuracy used in the setting of likely OSA. Consequently, we present key indications for polysomnography and present scalable, existing alternatives for assessment of OSA in the hospital or home setting, using polygraphy, oximetry or contactless sleep monitoring.

A multicentre neonatal manikin study showed a large heterogeneity in tactile stimulation for apnoea of prematurity.

AIM: Apnoea of prematurity requires prompt intervention to prevent long-term adverse outcomes, but specific recommendations about the stimulation approach are lacking. Our study investigated the modalities of tactile stimulation for apnoea of prematurity in different settings. METHODS: In this multi-country observational prospective study, nurses and physicians of the neonatal intensive care units were asked to perform a tactile stimulation on a preterm neonatal manikin simulating an apnoea. Features of the stimulation (body location and hand movements) and source of learning (training course or clinical practice) were collected. RESULTS: Overall, 112 healthcare providers from five hospitals participated in the study. During the stimulation, the most frequent location were feet (72%) and back (61%), while the most frequent techniques were rubbing (64%) and massaging (43%). Stimulation modalities different among participants according to their hospitals and their source of learning of the stimulation procedures. CONCLUSION: There was a large heterogeneity in stimulation approaches adopted by healthcare providers to counteract apnoea in a simulated preterm infant. This finding may be partially explained by the lack of specific guidelines and was influenced by the source of learning for tactile stimulation.

Parental experiences in navigating health services for paediatric residual obstructive sleep apnoea: An exploratory qualitative descriptive study.

OBJECTIVES: To explore parents' experiences and perceptions regarding engagement in health services for managing residual paediatric obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) across levels of care. METHODS: Qualitative description guided study design. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with parents of children diagnosed with residual OSA at a university-based sleep clinic. The relevant literature informed the interview guide and was piloted before data collection. Inductive, manifest content analysis was used to describe parents' perceptions and experiences using data-driven categories and sub-categories. Several strategies were employed to ensure rigour in this study. RESULTS: Eight interviews were conducted. Parents' views were organized into five categories: awareness of the sleep issue, interaction with non-sleep specialists, interaction with sleep specialists, interaction with dental professionals, and further actions and support. Parents reported several engagement issues due to their interactions with different care providers. These issues included having to personally identify and raise the sleep problem, feeling that care providers did not take this problem seriously, waiting for an extended period to be referred for sleep services, and receiving conflicting or insufficient treatment recommendations. Overall, parents perceived that their actions and the services received across levels of care were not effective enough to address paediatric OSA. CONCLUSION: Based on this exploratory qualitative descriptive research, along with developing evidence-based clinical guidelines for paediatric OSA screening and management tailored to different levels of care, strategies intended to improve the engagement of patients and care providers in addressing paediatric OSA should be developed and empirically tested.

Prevalence of obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome in oncological patients: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome (OSAS) has garnered increasing attention in recent years due to its potential association with cancer. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to assess the prevalence of OSAS in cancer patients through a comprehensive analysis of existing literature. METHODS: This systematic review and meta-analysis, conducted in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) protocol, aimed to evaluate the prevalence of OSAS in cancer patients. A comprehensive search of electronic databases was performed to identify relevant studies published up to September 2021. Eligible studies reporting on the prevalence of OSAS in cancer patients, encompassing various study designs, were included in the analysis. Pooled estimates of the odds ratios (OR) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated using a random effects model. Heterogeneity among the studies was assessed using the I2 statistic. RESULTS: Seventeen studies fulfilled the inclusion criteria and were subsequently included in the review. The prevalence of OSAS in cancer patients was estimated to have an overall OR of 0.80 (95% CI: 0.75-0.85). In comparison with non-cancer patients, cancer patients had a statistically significant greater risk of OSAS, as indicated by the total estimated RR for the prevalence of OSAS in cancer patients, which was 0.89 (95% CI: 0.86-0.92). Nonetheless, there was a significant amount of heterogeneity (I2 = 96%) among the studies. CONCLUSION: The overall data analysed in this review indicates that patients with cancer had far reduced likelihood of developing OSAS than individuals without cancer. However, the significant variation across the included studies highlights the need for additional investigation to fully clarify the complex association between OSAS and cancer incidence. These results emphasise how critical it is to identify OSAS as a possible comorbidity in cancer patients, one that should be taken into account for clinical management and ongoing research.

Personality traits and pre-treatment beliefs and cognitions predicting patient adherence to continuous positive airway pressure: A systematic review.

Adherence to Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) for obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) can be improved by behavioural interventions which modify patients' beliefs and cognitions about OSA, CPAP, and themselves. We have conducted the first systematic review of the literature on beliefs and cognitions held before starting treatment, and personality (which influences the former) that predict the decision to purchase or start CPAP, or CPAP adherence one month or more after CPAP initiation. A systematic search and screen of articles identified 21 eligible publications from an initial 1317. Quality assessment performed using an adapted Newcastle-Ottawa Scale demonstrated that 13 (62%) studies were poor quality and only seven (33%) were high quality. Eighteen factors, such as self-efficacy (confidence) in using CPAP and value placed on health predicted CPAP adherence; however, for only six (33%), utility as an intervention target is known, from calculation of individual predictive power. Studies did not use new behavioural frameworks effective at explaining adherence behaviours, nor did they interview patients to collect in-depth data on barriers and facilitators of CPAP use. Future studies cannot have these limitations if high quality evidence is to be generated for intervention development, which is currently sparse as highlighted by this review.

Heart Rate Variability Analysis in Obstructive Sleep Apnoea Patients with Daytime Sleepiness.

STUDY OBJECTIVES: Recent studies suggest sleepy patients with OSA are at higher risk for incident cardiovascular disease. This study assessed cardiac autonomic function in sleepy versus non-sleepy patients with obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) using heart rate variability (HRV) analysis. We hypothesised that HRV profiles of sleepy patients would indicate higher cardiovascular risk. METHODS: Electrocardiograms (ECG) derived from polysomnograms (PSG) collected by the Sydney Sleep Biobank were used to study HRV in groups of sleepy (ESS≥10) and non-sleepy OSA patients (ESS<10). HRV parameters were averaged across available ECG signal during N2 sleep. RESULTS: A total of 421 patients were evaluated, with mean age of 54 (14) years, body mass index (BMI) of 33 (9) kg/m2, apnoea hypopnoea index (AHI) of 21 (28) events/h and, 66% male. The sleepy group consisted of 119 patients, and the non-sleepy group 302 patients. Sleepy patients exhibited lower HRV values for: root mean square successive difference (RMSSD, p= 0.028); total power (TP, p= 0.031); absolute low frequency (LF, p= 0.045); and high frequency (HF, p= 0.010) power compared to Non-Sleepy patients. Sleepy patients with moderate to severe OSA exhibited lower HRV values for: (RMSSD, p= 0.045; TP, p= 0.052) ; absolute LF (p= 0.051); and HF power (p= 0.025). There were no differences in other time and frequency domain HRV markers. CONCLUSIONS: This study shows a trend towards parasympathetic withdrawal in sleepy OSA patients, particularly in moderate to severe cases, lending mechanistic support to the link between the sleepy phenotype and CVD risk in OSA.