<p>Psychomotor Performance in Patients with Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome</p>

Abstract

Purpose: Determinants of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) are hypoxemia and hypercapnia, as well as (micro) arousals from sleep, resulting in chronic sleep fragmentation, sleep deprivation, and excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS). All of the above-mentioned factors might contribute to psychomotor impairment seen in OSA patients. Additionally, this study aimed to assess the contribution of BMI, age, EDS assessed with Epworth sleepiness scale (ESS), and severity of OSA assessed with apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) to the reaction time on chronometric tests in OSA patients and controls. It is hypothesized that moderate and severe OSA have adverse effects on reaction time of perception to visual stimulus, of solving simple arithmetic operations, and of psychomotor limbs coordination assessed by chronometric psychodiagnostic test battery. Patients and Methods: This study was conducted on 206 male participants; 103 of them had moderate or severe OSA diagnosed by whole-night polysomnography/polygraphy. Control participants (N=103), matched to patients with OSA by age and BMI, had no reported OSA in their medical history, no increased risk for OSA, nor EDS. All participants were assessed with three chronometric psychodiagnostic tests, measuring the reaction time of perception to visual stimulus, of solving simple arithmetic operations, and of psychomotor limbs coordination. Results: Participants from the OSA group achieved impaired results compared to control participants in minimum single task solving time in speed of solving simple arithmetic operations (3±0.9 and 2.6±0.6, P<0.001), and in minimum solving time of a single task in complex psychomotor limbs coordination (0.69±0.2 and 0.61±0.1, P=0.007). Regression analysis revealed no significant contribution of daytime sleepiness to the results achieved in each of the tests. Conclusion: It is concluded that severe OSA impaired speed of perception, convergent, and operative thinking. Moreover, it is suggested that EDS did not contribute to poor psychomotor outcome in patients with OSA in this study, when age was controlled for.

Neurocognitive Performance Improvement after Obstructive Sleep Apnea Treatment: State of the Art

“…Kalcina et al reported an impaired speed of perception, convergent, and operative thinking in untreated OSA patients compared to the control group measured by CRD-series test (CRD5.2 ± 1.8 vs. 4.5 ± 1.33, p < 0.01; CRD. 41: OSA 25.1 ± 17.99 vs. 20.3 ± 11.1 p < 0.05; CRD11: OSA 38.8 ± 19.3 vs. 33.3 ± 14.1, p < 0.05) [ 25 ]. Decreasing stability of performance toward the end of the tests, assessed with end ballast (EB) measures of the CRD tests, indicated that OSA patients obtain considerably slower toward the end of tasks than control participants.…”

Event-Related Potential Assessment of Visual Perception Abnormality in Patients With Obstructive Sleep Apnea: A Preliminary Study

“…Giora observed an overall perceptual deficit consisting in OSA patients invested by means of a visual search task ( Giora et al, 2017 ). Lusic confirmed that individauls with severe OSA had impaired speed of perception, convergent, and operative thinking ( Kalcina et al, 2020 ).…”

Effect of arterial blood bicarbonate (HCO3−) concentration on the accuracy of STOP-Bang questionnaire screening for obstructive sleep apnea

“…In general, the screening efficiency of these questionnaires is not ideal. Some OSA patients also have chronic daytime hypercapnia [ 5 ]. To maintain the acid–base balance in the body, the kidney reduces the excretion of HCO 3 − , leading to an increase in arterial blood HCO 3 − .…”