Abstract
This study aims to characterize the orofacial myofunctional profile of patients with sleep disorders and to relate them to the severity of the polysomnography result. A cross-sectional, field study of patients referred to polysomnography with a random sample of adult patients of both genders complaining of snoring who were not receiving any form of treatment for sleep disorder. An anthroposcopic speech-language evaluation was performed and the results of the polysomnography examination were collected in order to respond to the objectives of the study. There was a significant association between the severity of the sleep disorder and environmental variables, such as smoking and alcoholism; also with individual characteristics, such as race, body mass index, waist circumference and systemic arterial hypertension. From the point of view of the myofunctional characteristics, there was a positive relationship between the severity of Obstructive Sleep Apnea and Hypopnea Syndrome with mental muscle contraction, Mallampati class, tongue dorsum elevation, tongue thickness, uvula characteristics, extension and mobility of the soft palate, and alteration in the respiratory pattern. This study made it possible to describe a trend of the existence of orofacial myofunctional alterations in individuals with Sleep Apnea and Obstructive Hypopnea Syndrome and also revealed that the greater the degree of impairment of orofacial structures, the greater the degree of disturbance is also revealed.
Highlights
METHODSObstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAHS) is characterized by recurrent episodes of upper airway obstruction during sleep due to collapsed tongue and soft palate structures in the lateral walls of the oropharynx
The variables found in the assessment protocol were analyzed through the results of the Fisher’s exact association test, and there was a significant association with the polysomnography result for the following variables: black race associated with severe outcome; smoker associated with moderate outcome and non-smokers associated with RERAs; associated with the severe and non‐alcoholic outcome associated with RERAs
A significant association was found between the Body Mass Index (BMI) and the polysomnography results, where normal weight may be associated with RERA results and, when obesity is found, may be related to the severe outcome
Summary
Obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAHS) is characterized by recurrent episodes of upper airway obstruction during sleep due to collapsed tongue and soft palate structures in the lateral walls of the oropharynx. This change generates from a small resistance (RERAs) to the impedance (partial or total) of the air flow. When such an obstruction lasts more than 10 seconds, it is called apnea; shorter periods of cessation correspond to hypoapies. The duration and frequency of such events will determine the severity of OSAHS[1]. It is estimated that from 1% to more than 6% of the adult population presents OSAHS[1,2,3], making it a public health problem[4]
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