Abstract
PurposeSnoring is closely related to obstructive sleep apnea in adults. The increasing abundance and availability of smartphone technology has facilitated the examination and monitoring of snoring at home through snoring apps. However, the accuracy of snoring detection by snoring apps is unclear. This study explored the snoring detection accuracy of Snore Clock—a paid snoring detection app for smartphones.MethodsSnoring rates were detected by smartphones that had been installed with the paid app Snore Clock. The app provides information on the following variables: sleep duration, snoring duration, snoring loudness (in dB), maximum snoring loudness (in dB), and snoring duration rate (%). In brief, we first reviewed the snoring rates detected by Snore Clock; thereafter, an ear, nose, and throat specialist reviewed the actual snoring rates by using the playback of the app recordings.ResultsIn total, the 201 snoring records of 11 patients were analyzed. Snoring rates measured by Snore Clock and those measured manually were closely correlated (r = 0.907). The mean snoring detection accuracy rate of Snore Clock was 95%, with a positive predictive value, negative predictive value, sensitivity, and specificity of 65% ± 35%, 97% ± 4%, 78% ± 25%, and 97% ± 4%, respectively. However, the higher the snoring rates, the higher were the false-negative rates for the app.ConclusionSnore Clock is compatible with various brands of smartphones and has a high predictive value for snoring. Based on the strong correlation between Snore Clock and manual approaches for snoring detection, these findings have validated that Snore Clock has the capacity for at-home snoring detection.
Highlights
Snoring, defined as “the vibration of palatal soft tissue from obstruction of air movement on breathing during sleeping,” is believed to be a key indicator of possible obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSA) [1]
Snoring rates were detected by smartphones that had been installed with the paid app Snore Clock
The mean snoring detection accuracy rate of Snore Clock was 95%, with a positive predictive value, negative predictive value, sensitivity, and specificity of 65% ± 35%, 97% ± 4%, 78% ± 25%, and 97% ± 4%, respectively
Summary
Snoring, defined as “the vibration of palatal soft tissue from obstruction of air movement on breathing during sleeping,” is believed to be a key indicator of possible obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSA) [1]. OSA is closely associated with several serious illnesses, including systemic hypertension, coronary artery disease, stroke, and metabolic syndrome; it may result in motor vehicle accidents and diminished quality of life [9,10,11]. OSA is insidious, and patients are often unaware of the associated symptoms. The cardinal manifestations of OSA include loud snoring, breathing pauses during sleep, fitful sleep quality, Sleep Breath and excessive daytime sleepiness [12]. Snoring intensity increases with OSA severity [14], and snoring itself can present a vascular risk [15]
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