Simple Snoring Research Articles

An OSAHS evaluation method based on multi-features acoustic analysis of snoring sounds

Snoring is the most direct symptom of obstructive sleep apnea hypopnea syndrome (OSAHS) and implies a lot of information about OSAHS symptoms. This paper aimed to identify OSAHS patients by analyzing acoustic features derived from overnight snoring sounds. Mel-frequency cepstral coefficients, 800 Hz power ratio, spectral entropy and other 10 acoustic features were extracted from snores, and Top-6 features were selected from the extracted 10 acoustic features by a feature selection algorithm based on random forest, then 5 kinds of machine learning models were applied to validate the effectiveness of Top-6 features on identifying OSAHS patients. The results showed that when the classification performance and computing efficiency were taken into account, the combination of logistic regression model and Top-6 features performed best and could successfully distinguish OSAHS patients from simple snorers. The proposed method provides a higher accuracy for evaluating OSAHS with lower computational complexity. The method has great potential prospect for the development of a portable sleep snore monitoring device.

Adenotonsiller Hipertrofili Hastalarda Efüzyonlu Otitis Media Gelişiminde Etkili Risk Faktörlerinin Araştırılması

Objective: Sleep Disordered Breathing (USB) is one of the most common childhood disorders ranging from simple snoring to obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), and most common cause of it is the adenotonsillar hypertrophy (ATH). Otitis Media with Effusion (OME) is another important problem in children with USB due to ATH. The aim of this study was to evaluate the possible risk factors for the development of EOM in children with USB due to ATH.
 Material and Methods: 171 pediatric patients with ATH-related snoring and sleep apnea complaints were included in the study. The patients were divided into two groups. Group 1: patients with ATH + OME and Group 2: patients with ATH alone. A pre-operative standard questionnaire was used to assess USB severity. Twenty-one different parameters were evaluated for both groups.
 Results: Age, sex, exposure to tobacco smoke, cow milk exposure before 12 months, breast milk only for at least 6 months, duration of symptoms, USB symptom scores, history of recurrent tonsillitis, adenoid / nasopharynx (AN) ratio, tonsil size, body mass index (BMI), hemoglobin (Hb) level, hematocrit (Hct) ratio, mean platelet volume (MPV), eosinophil ratio, neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), thyroid function tests (TSH, fT4), folate and vitamin B12 levels were evaluated. There was no statistically significant difference between these parameters except BMI. BMI values were 16.08 ± 1.96 in Group 1 and 17.11 ± 2.81 in Group 2, respectively (p: 0.006).
 Conclusion: Many different parameters were evaluated for EOM, a multifactorial disease. Among the groups, only BMI was different. Further study is required to identify risk factors for the development of EOM in patients with ATH.

Real-time prediction of upcoming respiratory events via machine learning using snoring sound signal.

The aim of the study was to inspect the acoustic properties and sleep characteristics of a preapneic snoring sound. The feasibility of forecasting upcoming respiratory events by snoring sound was also investigated. Participants with habitual snoring or a heavy breathing sound during sleep were recruited consecutively. Polysomnography was conducted, and snoring-related breathing sound was recorded simultaneously. Acoustic features and sleep features were extracted from 30-second samples, and a machine learning algorithm was used to establish 2 prediction models. A total of 74 eligible participants were included. Model 1, tested by 5-fold cross-validation, achieved an accuracy of 0.92 and an area under the curve of 0.94 for respiratory event prediction. Model 2, with acoustic features and sleep information tested by Leave-One-Out cross-validation, had an accuracy of 0.78 and an area under the curve of 0.80. Sleep position was found to be the most important among all sleep features contributing to the performance of the 2 models. Preapneic sound presented unique acoustic characteristics, and snoring-related breathing sound could be deployed as a real-time apneic event predictor. The models, combined with sleep information, serve as a promising tool for an early warning system to forecast apneic events. Wang B, Yi X, Gao J, etal. Real-time prediction of upcoming respiratory events via machine learning using snoring sound signal. J Clin Sleep Med. 2021;17(9):1777-1784.

A novel intraoral neuromuscular stimulation device for treating sleep-disordered breathing

PurposeTo ascertain the usefulness of a novel intraoral neuromuscular stimulation device in treating patients with primary snoring and mild obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA). This device uses daytime awake neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) as an application to induce toning of the tongue muscles.MethodsA prospective cohort study of 70 patients with sleep-disordered breathing was conducted. Objective snoring and respiratory parameters were recorded with 2 consecutive night WatchPat sleep studies before and after treatment. The device was used for 20 min once daily for a 6-week period. Secondary outcome measures using visual analogue scale reporting of snoring by patient and Epworth Sleepiness Score (ESS) were recorded. Quality of life parameters were also noted.ResultsObjective reduction of snoring was noted on the sleep studies in 95% of participants, with an average snoring time reduction of 48%. Subjectively, the visual analogue scale reported by partners’ similarly demonstrated reduction in 95% of the patients with an average reduction of 40%. In a subset of 38 patients with mild OSA, AHI reduced from 9.8 to 4.7/h (52% reduction), ODI 7.8 to 4.3/h (45% reduction), and ESS from 9.0 to 5.1. Adverse effects encountered were minimal.ConclusionThis prospective cohort study demonstrates a notable improvement in both objective and subjective parameters of snoring and mild OSA in both simple snorers and patients with mild OSA. This device offers a safe and novel approach to reduce snoring and mild OSA by utilising intraoral neuromuscular electrical stimulation. This could be a preferred option for patients as it alleviates the need of using an oral device during sleep.Trial registrationclinicaltrials.gov identifier NCT03829956

Mandibular Advancement Device use for therapy of simple snoring: mini review

Abstract Oral devices that treat obstructive sleep apnea are an easy and influential option to protect the upper airways from sleep obstructions. One example is the mandibular advancement device (MAD), which is a non-invasive apparatus specified in adults with simple snoring and mild obstructive sleep apnea. Recently, due to the constraints of other therapies, like positive airway pressure treatment and surgical methods, there has been growing interest in the use of oral appliance for simple snoring patients. MAD is managed to improve the upper airway volume, minimize upper airway collapse and reduce snoring. On the other hand, it remains inferior to CPAP in the reduction of the apnea-hypopnea scores, with therapy success varying from 24% to 72%. The treatment modalities include skilled physicians and multidisciplinary strategies to treat patients with snoring and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) effectively. Some researchers also suggest potential predictors of progress in care, but specific criteria for patient selection and predictive clinical principles for effectiveness in all treatment modalities are still needed. The aim of this brief clinical Study is to review MAD brief history, design, indications, contraindications, therapy efficiency, side effects, and current perspectives.

Evaluation of Acromegaly patients with sleep disturbance related symptoms.

Background and Objectives:It is known that the prevalence of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is increased in acromegaly. Craniofacial anomalies, macroglossia, and thickening of the laryngeal wall caused by the increase in soft tissue in these patients lead to OSA. Also, the increase in growth hormone can trigger central apnea by causing a decrease in respiratory drive. Determining the polysomnographic characteristics of acromegaly patients is important to reveal the effect of these mechanisms.Methods:The demographic and polysomnographic characteristics of 33 acromegaly patients who underwent polysomnography (PSG) with suspicion of sleep disorders between 2011 and 2018 in the sleep laboratory of our hospital were retrospectively analyzed. One of the patients was excluded from the analysis because PSG was performed in the postoperative period. The remaining 32 patients with active acromegaly were grouped according to their gender and the presence of OSA and compared with statistical methods in terms of polysomnographic and clinical features.Results:OSA (AHI>5) was detected in 78.1% of 32 active acromegaly patients (18 females, 14 males) who underwent PSG with suspicion of sleep-disordered breathing. Moderate-severe OSA (62.5%) was found in most patients, and there was no difference between the sexes in terms of OSA detection rate and OSA severity. Respiratory events appear to be predominantly obstructive hypopneas. Also, the polysomnographic features of female and male acromegaly patients with OSA were found to be similar. It is seen that the OSA group is similar to the group with simple snoring in terms of body mass index (BMI), but is statistically significantly older (p=0,007). A positive correlation was found between age and AHI in pairwise correlation analysis (r:0,426 p:0,015, respectively).Conclusion:Considering that the prevalence of OSA in the population is approximately 5%, our results show that the risk of OSA in acromegaly increases, and obstructive pathways are effective in this increase. The probability of OSA occurrence and polysomnographic features between the genders are similar. Although the median BMI of the patients with and without OSA was similar, the median age was higher in the group with OSA, middle-aged acromegaly patients should be evaluated in terms of OSA even if there is no obvious obesity.

Evaluation of Periorbital Tissues in Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome.

Objectives:To evaluate periorbital tissue alterations including eyelid laxity and eyelash ptosis in patients with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS).Materials and Methods:Based on polysomnography, 96 eyes of 48 patients with moderate/severe OSAS (Group 1) and 44 eyes of 22 patients with simple snoring (Group 2) were enrolled. Comprehensive eye examination along with eyelid laxity measurements including vertical and anterior distraction, presence of dermatochalasis, interpalpebral distance, and levator function were assessed. The presence and severity of eyelash ptosis were also noted.Results:The mean ages of Group 1 and Group 2 were 49.9±11.4 (range: 26-67) and 50.6±8.9 (range: 27-69) years, respectively (p=0.557). The mean vertical and anterior distraction distances in Group 1 (13.3±4.1 [range, 6-27] mm and 7.4±2.1 [range, 3-13.5] mm, respectively) were significantly higher than in Group 2 (p<0.05). Dermatochalasis and eyelash ptosis were found to be significantly more frequent in Group 1 (52.1% and 81.3%, respectively). The severity of eyelash ptosis was also higher in OSAS (p<0.05). No significant difference in interpalpebral distance or levator muscle function was detected.Conclusion:In patients with severe OSAS, eyelid laxity was more prominent and eyelash ptosis was more frequent and severe.

The Relationship between Simple Snoring and Sleep Bruxism: A Polysomnographic Study.

Simple snoring is defined as the production of sound in the upper aerodigestive tract during sleep, not accompanied by other pathologies. Sleep bruxism (SB) refers to repetitive phasic, tonic, or mixed masticatory muscle activity during sleep. In this study, we investigated the relationship between simple snoring and SB in patients without obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). A total of 565 snoring subjects underwent polysomnography. After examination, individuals with OSA were excluded from the study group. Finally, 129 individuals were analyzed. The bruxism episode index was positively correlated with maximum snore intensity. Phasic bruxism was positively correlated with snore intensity in all sleep positions. Bruxers had a significantly decreased average and minimum heart rate compared with non-bruxers. Supine sleep position seemed to have a significant impact on snore intensity and SB. In summary, our study showed the relationship between SB, snore intensity, and body position. Phasic bruxism was positively correlated with snore intensity despite the body position, which is an interesting and novel finding.

The Efficacy of Diode Laser Palatoplasty on Patients with Troublesome Snoring.

Introduction:Simple Snoring is low frequency sound without obstructive sleep apnea, produced mainly from vibration of the upper airway wall in the soft palate; it can be bothersome and may causes social problems. So the aim of this study is an attempt for relieving simple snoring though, stiffening the soft palate via transoral diode laser palatoplasty. Materials and Methods:Forty six adult patients with socially troublesome snoring were recruited in this stuy. Adequately history was taken to rule out witnessed evidence of obstructive sleep apnea. Then full otolaryngological examination, with soft palate vibration grading assessment by Muller maneuver were followed, consequently the eligible patients were underwent transoral 810 nm diode laser palatoplasty under local anesthesia and followed-up 6 months post-operatively. Results:The loudness of subjective snoring assessed by visual analogue score (VAS) was relieved from 6.6 to 2.4 and by Muller maneuver was improved from 2.7 to 1.9, and for the frequency from 2.1 Hz to 0.3 Hz, and from 2.4 Hz to 0.55 Hz for the duration pre to post-operative with P value of 0.75 to 0.023 respectively, So the overall frequencies of improvement of snoring loudness results had revealed a total improvement (no snoring) were detected in 4 patients, and moderate improvement had been found in 30 patients, while mild improvement of snoring had been seen in 10 patients, however about 2 patents got no benefit from the surgery. Conclusion:Stiffening of the soft palate by diode laser had shown to be significantly beneficial in relieving the snoring intensity as it had a positive impact on its subjective loudness, frequency and duration.

Effects of smokıng on patıents wıth obstructıve sleep apnea syndrome.

We aimed to investigate the relationship between the presence and severity of obstructive sleep apnea (OSAS) and smoking using pulmonary function tests and polysomnographic data. This analytical cross-sectional study was done by retrospectively examining the files of patients who applied to the Meram Medical Faculty Chest Diseases Sleep Laboratory between 07.01.2016 and 30.12.2018. Three-hundred and thirty-three patients who were diagnosed with OSAS or simple snoring by polysomnography (PSG) were included in the study. Those involved in the study; 17.1% were simple snoring [apnea-hypopnea index (AHI)<5]; 15.3% were mild OSAS (AHI: 5-15); 30.6% were moderate OSAS (AHI: 16-30); 36.9% were severe OSAS (AHI>30), and 48.6% of the study participants never smoked. There was a significant correlation between the number of pack-years, minimum O2 saturation, mean O2 saturation, ratio of sleep time to total sleep time with oxygen saturation below 90%, %NREM 3 sleep time, Hb, HTC values, and FEV1/FVC values. According to the results of multiple linear regression analysis; the effect of package-year, age, and BMI on OSAS severity was found to be statistically significant (β=0.153 P=0.004, β=0.123 P=0.025, β=0.208 P<0.001, respectively). It was revealed that patients with severe OSAS were heavy smokers, and increased smoking increased the OSAS severity both by increasing the AHI and by reducing the oxygen saturation overnight. One unit increase in the package-year results in a 15.3% increase in the AHI.

Red cell distribution width: a new tool for the severity prediction of sleep apnoea syndrome in children.

IntroductionRed cell distribution width (RDW) is a parameter included in the complete blood count which informs about the size of the circulating red blood cell population and its distribution. In adults, an increase in RDW was shown to be associated both with obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) and with an increase in cardiovascular mortality. The aim of this study was to determine whether RDW is a potential biomarker for screening children with moderate–severe OSA.MethodsAn observational study in snoring patients was performed. All patients underwent a sleep study and were classified either as simple snorers (apnoea–hypopnoea index (AHI) <1 event·h−1) or as patients with OSA (mild AHI ≥1 to <5 events·h−1; moderate–severe AHI ≥5 events·h−1). Blood analyses (complete blood count and C-reactive protein) were performed for every individual.ResultsA total of 175 individuals were recruited. The mean age was 8.3±3.6 years. Correlation studies between RDW and several sleep-related parameters showed negative significant associations with minimum oxygen saturation, and positive significant associations with oxygen desaturation index (≥3% and ≥4%), AHI and the arousal index. A predictive model for paediatric severe OSA (AHI ≥5 events·h−1) was found based on mean corpuscular haemoglobin concentration (MCHC) <34.9 g·dL−1 and RDW >13.1% values, adjusting for body mass index z-score and age (area under the curve 0.657; p=0.004). In addition, differences were found in eosinophil count and C-reactive protein concentrations among the three subgroups.ConclusionsIn children, RDW stands out as a biomarker associated with the severity of OSA. The use of RDW and MCHC could be a simple but useful tool for the severity prediction of paediatric OSA in snoring patients.

Impact of Radiofrequency Ablation of Soft Palate (Somnoplasty) on Simple Snoring

Impact of Radiofrequency Ablation of Soft Palate (Somnoplasty) on Simple Snoring

Weighted Epworth sleepiness scale predicted the apnea-hypopnea index better

BackgroundThe relationship between the Epworth sleepiness scale (ESS) and the apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) is uncertain and even poor. The major problem associated with the ESS might be a lack of consideration of weight in prediction in clinical practice. Would awarding different item-scores to the four scales of ESS items to develop a weighted ESS scoring system improve the accuracy of the AHI prediction? It is warranted to explore the intriguing hypotheses.MethodsSeven hundred fifty-six adult patients with suspicion of obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome (OSAS) were prospectively recruited to a derivation cohort. This was tested against a prospective validation cohort of 810 adult patients with suspected OSAS. Each ESS item’s increased odds ratio for the corresponding AHI was calculated using univariate logistic regression. The receiver operating characteristic curves were created and the areas under the curves (AUCs) were calculated to illustrate and compare the accuracy of the indices.ResultsThe higher the ESS item-score, the closer the relationship with the corresponding AHI. The odds ratios decreased as a result of the increased AHI. The ESS items were of unequal weight in predicting the corresponding AHI and a weighted ESS was developed. The coincidence rates with the corresponding AHI, body mass indices, and neck circumferences rose as the scores increased, whereas nocturnal nadir oxygen saturations decreased, and the weighted ESS was more strongly associated with these indices, compared with the ESS. The capability in predicting the patients without OSAS or with severe OSAS was strong, especially the latter, and the weighted ESS orchestrated manifest improvement in screening the patients with simple snoring. The patterns of sensitivities, specificities, and Youden’s indices of the four ranks of weighted ESS for predicting the corresponding AHI were better than those of the ESS, and the AUCs of weighted ESS were greater than the corresponding areas of ESS in the two cohorts.ConclusionsThe weighted ESS orchestrated significant improvement in predicting the AHI, indicating that the capability in predicting the patients without OSAS or with severe OSAS was strong, which might have implications for clinical triage decisions to prioritize patients for polysomnography.

Snoring patterns during home polysomnography. A proposal for a new classification.

Snoring is a very common disorder, but, at present, there is no universally accepted classification for the condition. The main aim of this paper is to introduce a home sleep monitoring-based classification of common snoring patterns in simple snorers and in patients with obstructive sleep apnea-hypopnea syndrome (OSAHS). In total, 561 consecutive patients with a history of snoring, either simple or associated with apnea, were enrolled in this home sleep monitoring study. Analysis of the polysomnographic traces and the snoring sensor allowed the main patterns of snoring and their characteristics to be determined. Four patterns of snoring were identified. In a spectrum of increasing severity (mild, moderate or severe), snoring can be episodic, positional, continuous, or alternating, whereas in obstructive sleep apnea syndrome, the snoring events only occur between successive respiratory obstructive events. In mild snoring, the episodic pattern is the most frequent, whereas in moderate and severe snoring, the continuous snoring pattern occurs in most cases. The proposed classification of snoring patterns would be beneficial for providing a realistic disturbance index, for the selection and evaluation of the outcomes of surgical techniques.

0642 A Novel Daytime Intra-Oral Neuromuscular Stimulation Therapy in Simple Snorers: Objective Improvement in Snoring

Abstract Introduction The reduction in pharyngeal muscle tone in the upper airway is a pivotal factor in snoring and obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA).There is accumulative evidence that pharyngeal exercises can reduce snoring and OSA. We present a novel device SnooZeal® that uses daytime awake neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NEMS) as an application to induce toning of the tongue muscles. This study investigates objective changes in snoring and respiratory parameters with this device. Methods Prospective cohort study of 100 simple snorers was conducted. Objective snoring and respiratory parameters were recorded with 2 consecutive WatchPat sleep studies before and after treatment. SnooZeal® device was used for 20 minutes once a day for a 6 week period. Secondary outcome measures using visual analogue scale reporting of snoring by patient and Epworth Sleepiness Score (ESS) were recorded. Results Objective reduction of snoring was noted on the sleep studies in 95% with an average reduction of 48%. Subjectively, the visual analogue scale reported by partners similarly demonstrated reduction in 95% of the patients with an average reduction of 40%. Conclusion This prospective cohort study demonstrates a notable improvement in both objective and subjective parameters of snoring and respiratory indices. SnooZeal® offers a novel approach to reduce snoring by utilising intra-oral neuromuscular electrical stimulation. This could be a preferred option for patients as it alleviates the need of using an oral device during sleep. Support

UPPER AIRWAY VOLUMETRIC CHANGE FOLLOWING THE USE OF TWO CAD/CAM ORAL APPLIANCES FOR TREATMENT OF OBSTRUCTIVE SLEEP APNEA

Introduction: Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a condition in which there is repetitive and intermittent occlusion of the upper airway (UA) during sleep. OSA can be treated through; continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP), surgery, or oral appliances. Mandibular Advancement Appliance (MAA) is considered a valid alternative, which can be the first choice in simple snorers and mild-moderate OSA. MAA can be either custom-made or non-custom-made, one-piece or two-piece, titratable or non-titratable. While Monoblock designs permit no mouth opening, two-piece appliances vary in permissible lateral jaw movement and in the coupling mechanisms which attach the two plates together. Objectives: measuring the change in UA volume after the use of two different designs of MAA (Monoblock and Biblock) Materials and methods: Twenty patients with diagnosed OSA were divided randomly into two equal groups: Monoblock group ; received Monoblock MAA fabricated using CAD/CAM technique at different advancement levels; 50% then 75% of maximum advancement, Biblock group; received Biblock MAA fabricated using CAD/CAM technique at different advancement levels; 50% then 75% of maximum advancement. UA volume of all patients were evaluated after three months of acclimatization of each stage of advancement through Cone-Beam Computed Tomography (CBCT). Results: Biblock group showed statistically significant increase in UA volume at 75% mandibular advancement level, compared to Monoblock group (p=.001). There was statistically significant increase in UA volume percentage change from baseline to 50% advancement (p=.016), and also from baseline to 75% advancement (p=.001) in favor to Biblock MAA. Conclusions: Both Monoblock and Biblock MAA produced statistically significant increase in UA volume of OSA patients. Biblock MAA with elastics presented statistically significant favorable increase in UA volume in relation to Monoblock MAA.

Difference in spectral power density of sleep EEG between patients with simple snoring and those with obstructive sleep apnoea

Patients with simple snoring (SS) often complain of poor sleep quality despite a normal apnoea-hypopnoea index (AHI). We aimed to identify the difference in power spectral density of electroencephalography (EEG) between patients with SS and those with obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA). We compared the absolute power spectral density values of standard EEG frequency bands between the SS (n = 42) and OSA (n = 129) groups during the non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep period, after controlling for age and sex. We also analysed partial correlation between AHI and the absolute values of the EEG frequency bands. The absolute power spectral density values in the beta and delta bands were higher in the OSA group than in the SS group. AHI also positively correlated with beta power in the OSA group as well as in the combined group (OSA + SS). In conclusion, higher delta and beta power during NREM sleep were found in the OSA group than in the SS group, and beta power was correlated with AHI. These findings are microstructural characteristics of sleep-related breathing disorders.

Effect of Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome on Retinal Nerve Fiber Layer and Ganglion Cell Complex

In this study, we aimed to identify the effect of oxygen desaturation due to comparing ganglion cell complex (GCC), retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) between patients with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS), simple snoring and healthy individuals.132 total patients with OSAS and simple snoring who were diagnosed with polysomnography between 2016 -2018 and 88 healthy individuals were included in the prospective-case control study. The patients were grouped according to the Apnea Hypopnea Index (AHI). Healthy volunteers and the patients with simple snoring (the AHI index value lower than 5) were grouped as respectively Group 1(G1) and Group 2 (G2). Groups 3 to 5 were separated according to the AHI index as mild OSAS (Group 3 (G3); AHI=5-15), moderate OSAS (Group 4(G4);AHI=16-30), and severe OSAS (Group 5(G5); AHI&gt;30). All study participants underwent an examination of both eyes including corrected visual acuity, intraocular pressure measurement, dilated-pupil fundus examination, with RNFL and GCC thickness which were measured with optical coherence tomography (OCT). Of the 132 patients included in the study, 29 had simple snoring, 22 mild, 22 moderate, and 57 severe OSAS. When bilateral mean, superior, inferior, temporal, and nasal RNFL thickness and mean, superior and inferior GCC values were compared among the study groups; no statistically significant difference was found (p&gt;0.005). No significant difference was evaluated between mean RNFL thickness, four quadrants RNFL thicknesses, mean GCC thickness, two quadrants GCC thickness with OCT in the study patients. Indeed, because the patients with diagnosed OSAS could more likely to develop glaucoma, it would be appropriate for these patients to have a regular optic examination.

Is there a correlation between obstructive sleep-apnea syndrome severity and prolidase activity as an oxidative stress marker?

Obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) is a highly prevalent breathing disorder in sleep. The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship between OSAS and prolidase activity, the oxidative stress index (OSI), total antioxidative capacity (TAC), total oxidative capacity (TOC) and the carotid intima media thickness (CIMT). : After night polysomnography, 74 people were diagnosed with OSAS and simple snoring. Plasma prolidase activities, TAC and TOC were measured in blood samples taken in the morning after the sleep study. The patients' bilateral common carotid arteries were scanned. In total, 56 patients were in OSAS group [13 subjects 23.2% mild, 19 subjects 33.9% moderate, 24 subjects 42.8% severe] and 18 in simple snoring control group. The mean Prolidase, TOC, TAC and OSI levels were 744.7 ± 156.8, 59.2 ± 19.2, 2.12 ± 0.41, 3.12 ± 1.03, in the mild OSAS group, 761.6 ± 114.4, 57.9 ± 18.3, 2.03 ± 0.37, 3.15 ± 0.8, in the moderate OSAS group, 754.08 ± 133.9, 51.15 ± 12.1, 1.97 ± 0.27, 2.8 ± 0.82, in the severe OSAS group, and 711.9 ± 139, 52.3 ± 15.1, 1.83 ± 0.32, 3.06 ± 0.92 in the control group, respectively. Mean CIMT measurements were 0.71(±0,13) in the OSAS group and 0.76(±0.07) in the control group. There was no difference between the control and OSAS groups in terms of the parameters studied. Further studies should be undertaken in order to clarify the relation.

Titanium Snoreplasty- A New Surgical Technique.

Introduction:Based on the previous data, among the general population aged between 30 and 60 years, snoring is observed in 44% and 28% of males and females, respectively. Therefore, it is important to treat snoring to reduce the disruption of the bed partner's sleep and the patients’ own problems. This study aimed to present a minimally invasive procedure which is easy to perform with less tissue damage. Materials and Methods:This study included 13 patients suffering from primary snoring with soft palate length of 2.5cm or more. All of the patients were examined and their partners were asked to fill-out the relevant questionnaires at baselines, 90 days, 6 months and 1 year after the surgery in order to assess snoring. A crescent strip of oral mucosa along with the underlying muscle were removed under general anesthesia followed by the insertion of a piece of oval-shaped titanium mesh. Moreover, two subjective methods were employed to assess the snoring of all patients.Results:11 patients were male, and the mean age and the mean body mass index of the patients were 48.69 years and 28.34 kg/m2, respectively. The scores obtained from the Visual Analog Scale for snoring loudness before surgery reduced from 7.63 to 3.54, which was statistically significant (P<0.05). None of the patients experienced major complications after surgery; however, there was a partial extrusion of the implant in one case which was managed conservatively with spontaneous healing.Conclusions:Titanium snoreplasty was successful in the reduction of snoring in this study. This method is a single-stage treatment for simple snoring with the multiple effects of palatal shortening, space increasing, and palatal stiffening.