Impact of Sleep Apnea Measurement Methods on Study Size
Author Information
Author(s): Daniel Levendowski, David Steward, B Tucker Woodson, Richard Olmstead, Djordje Popovic, Philip Westbrook
Primary Institution: Advanced Brain Monitoring Inc.
Hypothesis
How does the variability of Apnea-Hypopnea Index differ between in-lab and in-home sleep studies for patients with obstructive sleep apnea?
Conclusion
In-home sleep studies show less variability in measuring sleep-disordered breathing compared to polysomnography.
Supporting Evidence
- In-home studies provided approximately 50% less test-retest variability than polysomnography.
- The in-home results showed virtually no bias compared to the substantial bias observed in polysomnography.
- The study highlights the need for larger sample sizes when using polysomnography due to its variability.
Takeaway
This study found that measuring sleep apnea at home is more consistent than doing it in a lab, which helps researchers plan better studies.
Methodology
Thirty-seven patients underwent both polysomnography and in-home sleep studies to compare the variability of results.
Potential Biases
Polysomnography showed a bias toward higher AHI values upon retest.
Limitations
The sample size was small, and the study could not control all variables affecting polysomnography reliability.
Participant Demographics
Adult patients with untreated mild to moderate obstructive sleep apnea.
Statistical Information
P-Value
<0.01
Statistical Significance
p<0.01
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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