AIMS (1) To determine the extent to which tonsil size contributes to the severity of obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) in children; and (2) to assess the use of tonsillar-pharyngeal (TP) ratio in differentiating patients with different severity of OSA. METHODS Lateral neck radiograph was performed on 35 children referred consecutively to a university paediatric chest clinic for suspected OSA sec...

Our understanding of obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) has advanced much beyond that of the condition being a noisy breathing abnormality during sleep which classically presents with daytime sleepiness, to a condition with numerous potentially significant downstream sequelae and multisystem manifestations. The relationship between OSA and metabolic dysfunction is a moving target. Cross sectional s...

Background and objective Use of in-laboratory polysomnography (PSG) to diagnose obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) is cost resource intensive. Questionnaires, physical measurements home monitors have been studied as potential simpler alternatives. This study aimed develop a diagnostic model for OSA use in primary care. Methods Primary care practitioners were trained recognize symptoms recruited pat...

This study is part of an ongoing collaborative effort between the medical and the signal processing communities to promote research on applying standard Automatic Speech Recognition (ASR) techniques for the automatic diagnosis of patients with severe obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA). Early detection of severe apnoea cases is important so that patients can receive early treatment. Effective ASR-ba...

Snoring, a symptom which may indicate the presence of the obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome (OSA), is also common in the general population. Recent studies have suggested that the acoustic characteristics of snoring sound may differ between simple snorers and OSA patients. We have studied a small number of patients with simple snoring and OSA, analysing the acoustic characteristics of the snori...

Endothelin-1 (ET-1), a potent vasoconstrictor, is released mainly by vascular endothelial cells under the influence of hypoxia and other stimuli. ET-1 is related to endothelial dysfunction, as well as arterial and pulmonary hypertension, all of which are thought to be associated with obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA). This study evaluated venous plasma concentrations of ET-1 and noradrenaline and ...

A low arousal threshold is believed to predispose to breathing instability during sleep. The present authors hypothesised that trazodone, a nonmyorelaxant sleep-promoting agent, would increase the effort-related arousal threshold in obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) patients. In total, nine OSA patients, mean+/-sd age 49+/-9 yrs, apnoea/hypopnoea index 52+/-32 events.h(-1), were studied on 2 night...

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE Obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) is suggested to be associated with peripheral nerve damage. A case-control study was conducted to provide further support to this observation. In a longitudinal intervention study, it was examined whether treatment for OSA has a possible beneficial effect on peripheral nerve function. METHODS Participants were 23 patients with OSA and 23...

Clear rhinorrhoea is a common symptom in patients with obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA), which may worsen with nasal continuous positive airway pressure treatment (nCPAP). However, rhinorrhoea can also be the presenting symptom of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leak, which is due to a communication between the subarachnoid space and the nasal cavity or sinuses. We report another case of a patient with...

In the recent issue of European Respiratory Journal, KIELY and MCNICOLAS have sophisticatedly demonstrated that the increased risk of future cardiovascular diseases is independent of obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) in patients with obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome (OSAS) [1]. Although many investigators have reported that there is a significant link between OSA and the cardiovascular events, th...