EVALUATION OF CENTRAL AUDITORY PROCESSING IN PATIENTS WITH OBSTRUCTIVE SLEEP APNEA SYNDROME

Introduction: Obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) is responsible for various changes in homeostasis, which lead to increased morbidity and mortality. A field of growing interest in the literature refers to cognitive changes among patients with OSAS. The study of possible results in higher auditory functions in OSAS is an important step towards a better understanding of the cognitive impact and functionality of the affected patient. Objectives: To assess the existence of changes in central auditory processing in patients with OSAS, and to explore potential associations between the results and epidemiological/polysomnographic parameters. Materials and Methods: This was a prospective observational case-control study. For the case group, patients aged 18 to 60 years with clinical suspicion of OSAS were included. They were subjected to a type I polysomnography (PSG). People without clinical symptoms of sleep disturbance or criteria for daytime sleepiness composed the control group. The participants underwent a P300 electrophysiological test and filled out the Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS). Results: The overall sample consisted of 43 patients, of which 23 were in case group. The mean P300 latency in the case group was 326 milliseconds (ms), and for the control group, the mean value reached 308ms (p = 0.031). The subgroup of cases with increased p300 latency had a shorter duration of the N1 sleep stage. As for the score observed in the ESS, the maximum value, the mean and the median corrected for this subgroup were higher than the rest of the case group, but with no statistical difference. Conclusion: Patients with OSAS have increased mean P300 latency, compared to patients in the control group. Thus, it is suggested that patients with apnea may present quantifiable alterations in the central auditory processing.