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Antero-cervical thermophysiological characterization of obstructive sleep apnea patients

  • Sleep Breathing Physiology and Disorders • Original Article
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Abstract

Purpose

Obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) is characterized by upper airway inflammation. The aim of this study was to characterize thermal profile of the antero-cervical region in OSAS patients through medical thermal imaging and to compare the respective subjects with non-OSAS individuals.

Methods

Image capture followed the Glamorgan Protocol. A dynamic thermographic examination of the anterior cervical region (at baseline and after a cold stimulus) was conducted in 26 patients diagnosed with overnight polysomnography (PSG). PSG results stratified the subjects into OSAS and non-OSAS groups and their thermograms were compared.

Results

Eleven non-OSAS and 15 OSAS subjects were evaluated. Antero-cervical right side (RS) temperature was higher in OSAS group at baseline (p = 0.014). Right side index (RSI) temperature—the difference between RS and submental region, considered as control—was lower in OSAS subjects at baseline (p = 0.020) and 10 min after the cold stimuli was applied (p = 0.008), indicating higher absolute temperatures in this group. Left side index (LSI) was also lower at 10 min in OSAS group (p = 0.021). Statistical correlation was found between apnea-hypopnea index and RS at baseline (r = 0.424, p = 0.031) and at 10 min (r = 0.403, p = 0.041) and RSI at baseline (r = − 0.458, p = 0.019) and 10 min after cold provocation was applied (r = − 0.435, p = 0.025).

Conclusions

OSAS patients have shown higher antero-cervical temperatures compared with non-OSAS counterparts and temperature was associated with severity of the condition. Medical thermography may be a suitable tool in the setting of OSAS suspicion.

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Acknowledgments

The authors acknowledge the personnel in the Pulmonology Department of São João Hospital and Dr. Camila Dias from the Department of Information Sciences and Health Decision of Faculty of Medicine, University of Porto.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Pulmonology Department, Centro Hospitalar São João/Faculty of Medicine, University of Porto, Alameda Prof. Hernâni Monteiro, 4200-319, Porto, Portugal

    Mariana Jarnalo & Marta Drummond

  2. LABIOMEP, UISPA-INEGI-LAETA, Faculty of Engineering, University of Porto, R. Dr. Roberto Frias s/n, 4200-465, Porto, Portugal

    Ricardo Vardasca & Joaquim Gabriel Mendes

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  1. Mariana Jarnalo
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  2. Ricardo Vardasca
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  3. Joaquim Gabriel Mendes
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  4. Marta Drummond
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Correspondence to Marta Drummond.

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The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.

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Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study.

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Jarnalo, M., Vardasca, R., Mendes, J.G. et al. Antero-cervical thermophysiological characterization of obstructive sleep apnea patients. Sleep Breath 22, 1111–1116 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11325-018-1644-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11325-018-1644-4

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