Sleep apnea is a condition where breathing is abnormal during sleep. There are two main forms of sleep apnea: obstructive and central. For obstructive sleep apnea, breathing is reduced because the airway is blocked. For central sleep apnea, breathing is reduced because the brain signals that control breathing are not working correctly. It is important to determine which sleep apnea a patient has so that it can be correctly diagnosed and appropriately treated.
To determine which sleep apnea a patient has, a measure of breathing effort is required. The best measure involves inserting a sensor down towards a patient's stomach and keeping it there whilst the patient sleeps. This measure is rarely used because of cost and discomfort. Instead, more comfortable measures are used (e.g. bands placed on the chest and stomach over the top of pajamas). These comfortable measures are not very accurate, therefore a new method is required.
We wish to test another measure of breathing effort that involves pressure measuring changes as the 'notch', which is the large visible dip between the neck and chest. We will assess monitoring in sleep apnea patients. We will compare the diagnostic ability of the notch to the best available measure of breathing effort (internal sensor) and commonly used measures of breathing effort (respiratory bands).
If the monitor is comfortable and accurate it will improve our ability to diagnose and treat sleep disorders resulting in better patient outcomes.
Validating suprasternal notch pressure monitoring for the detection of respiratory effort during sleep.
Sleep > Obstructive Sleep Apnoea
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WORLD SLEEP DAY ON 15TH MARCH 2024
The benefits of quality sleep and to acknowledge the issue of sleep problems and their medical, educational, and social aspects as well as the prevention and management of sleep disorders, is promoted on World Sleep Day on the 15th March 2024.
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