Evaluation of the feasibility and preference of Nox-A1 type 2 ambulatory device for unattended home sleep test: a randomized crossover study

Abstract

There is an increasing need for portable sleep monitoring in clinical practice, but there is no comparative study that used the same device for home and in-laboratory sleep monitoring and device close to full polysomnography (PSG) to evaluate the feasibility and preference of home unattended sleep monitoring. Twenty male participants with high risk for moderate to severe OSA based on the STOP-BANG questionnaire were included. The participants were randomly assigned to group A (home unattended monitoring after in-laboratory monitoring) or group B (in-laboratory monitoring after home unattended monitoring). A 2-week washout period was implemented between the sleep tests. All hook-up procedures were performed in laboratory. Participants were asked to complete a questionnaire after finishing each sleep test. There was no difference in sleep efficiency, arousal index, or time spent in each sleep stage between the two monitoring modes using Nox-A1. Additionally, other respiratory parameters such as apnea–hypopnea index (AHI), supine AHI, and snoring time did not differ. A high and similar sensor quality for airflow, oxygen, and respiratory effort was observed in both monitoring groups. Patient’s feelings and satisfaction with the test were similar between in-laboratory and home monitoring, but preference rate for the in-laboratory test was higher than that for home monitoring (70% vs. 30%, respectively). These data suggest that home unattended monitoring with Nox-A1 type 2 ambulatory device is a feasible alternative diagnostic mode for high risk of moderate to severe OSA, yielding reliable quality recordings and high patient satisfaction.