Sleep
-
Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter Study
The effect of CPAP in normalizing daytime sleepiness, quality of life, and neurocognitive function in patients with moderate to severe OSA.
The study aimed to document the neurobehavioral outcomes of patients referred to and treated by a sleep medicine service for moderate to severe obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). In particular, we aimed to establish the proportion of patients who, while appearing to have optimal continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) adherence, did not normalize their daytime sleepiness or neurocognitive function after 3 months of CPAP therapy despite effective control of OSA. ⋯ Our study suggests that a greater percentage of patients achieve normal functioning with longer nightly CPAP duration of use, but a substantial proportion of patients will not normalize neurobehavioral responses despite seemingly adequate CPAP use. It is thus crucial to adequately assess patients after CPAP therapy and seek alternate etiologies and treatments for any residual abnormalities.