Abstract
Objective : Obstructive sleep apnea （OSA） is classified as a sleep disorder. Treatment is imperative because OSA increases the risk of developing hypertension, cardiovascular disease, cerebral apoplexy, and sudden death. Nasal continuous positive airway pressure and oral appliances （OA） are the most common treatments for OSA. Recent research has focused on the treatment effect of OA on positional-dependent OSA, in which the apnea hypopnea index （AHI） is significantly increased in the supine compared with that in the lateral sleeping position. The aim of the study was to investigate the treatment effect of OA for positional- and nonpositional-dependent OSA.
Methods : This study evaluated 73 patients who underwent OA treatment at the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery of Aichi Medical University Hospital. Patients underwent polysomnography in the presence and absence of OA and were classified as having either positional- or nonpositional-dependent OSA. The AHI changes were compared between the two groups for the presence and absence of OA. Additionally, changes in AHI were compared during the supine versus lateral sleeping position with OA treatment in both groups. Logistic regression analysis was performed to evaluate the effect of OA treatment.
Results : AHI decreased after treatment with OA in both positional- and nonpositional-dependent OSA. There was no difference in AHI decrease between the supine and non-supine sleeping positions. Positional- and nonpositional-dependent OSA was not found to be a predictor of OA treatment effect.
Conclusions : Positional- or nonpositional-dependent OSA was not selected as an independent predictor for the therapeutic effect of OA.
