• Sleep Medicine and Psychophysiology
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.27-33
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• 2000

Objectives: The sensitivity and accuracy of thermistor airflow signal has been debated. The purposes of this study were to compare apnea-hypopnea index(AHI) detected from a conventional thermistor signal and a nasal pressure transducer of airflow(NPT), to evaluate the value of NPT for the diagnosis of upper airway resistance syndrome(UARS), and to measure airway pressure fluctuations which produced respiratory arousals in UARS by naso-oro-esophageal manometer catheter. The subjects were 30 patients with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome [mild(540), 10), and 6 UARS patients. Airway resistance arousal in this study was defined as arousals which were not associated with apnea or hypopnea of thermistor signal, but showed significant decrease of nasal airflow pressure just before arousal and a prompt recovery of nasal airflow pressure after arousal. The airway pressure fluctuations were measured during 260 airway resistance arousals observed in 10 patients with OSAS, 2 with UARS. Results: Mean AHIs of patients with OSAS were 33.4 by thermistor and 48.4 by NPT. The AHIs of mild, moderate and severe OSAS groups were 10.2, 32.1, 65.4 respectively by thermistor and 23.1, 45.9, 76.4 by NPT. The mean AHI of patients with UARS was 3.2 by thermistor and 10.8 by NPT. The mean AHI of patients with nonspecific arousals was 2.7 by thermistor and 4.4 by NPT. The mean airway pressure changes during respiratory arousals of different groups were $8.7\;cmH_2O$ in mild OSAS, $11.4\;cmH_2O$ in moderate OSAS, $24.7\;cmH_2O$ in severe OSAS and $6.6\;cmH_2O$ in UARS. Conclusion: The nasal pressure transducer of airflow was more sensitive and accurate for assessing respiratory disturbances of patients with OSAS and was extremely helpful for the diagnosis of UARS without esophageal pressure monitoring. From the results, we would like to propose carefully the NPT diagnostic criteria for sleep disordered breathing as follows: NPT-AHI 5-15 $\rightarrow$ UARS, 15-35 $\rightarrow$ mild OSAS, 35-55 $\rightarrow$ moderate OSAS and >55 $\rightarrow$ severe OSAS.