Sleep Med Psychophysiol.  2007 Dec;14(2):86-91.

Role of Actigraphy in the Estimation of Sleep Quality in Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome

• Lee SH
• Lee JS
• Jeong DU

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Actigraphy is a reliable and valid method for assessing sleep in normal, healthy populations, but it may be less reliable and valid for detecting disturbed sleep in patients. In this study, we attempted to assess the utility of actigraphy in the estimation of sleep quality in patients with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS), a major sleep disorder. METHOD: We analyzed the data of patients who underwent polysomnography (PSG) and actigraphy simultaneously for one night at the Center for Sleep and Chronobiology, Seoul National University Hospital from November 2004 to March 2006. Eighty-nine subjects with OSAS alone and 21 subjects with OSAS and periodic limb movement disorder (PLMD) were included for final data analyses between groups. Polysomnographic and actigraphic data were also compared.
RESULTS
In subjects with mild OSAS (RDI<15), modretae (15< or = RDI<30), and OSAS with PLMD, PSG and actigraphy did not show significant difference in total sleep time and sleep efficiency. However in severe (30< or =RDI) OSAS subjects, PSG and actigraphy showed significant difference in total sleep time and sleep efficiency. In all patients, no correlations were found between sleep parameters from PSG and from those using actigraphy.
CONCLUSIONS
We suggest that in severe OSAS patients, PSG is the diagnostic tool. In mild and moderate cases, actigraphy might be used as a screening tool.

Keyword

Actigraphy; Polysomnography; Obstructive sleep apnea syndrome; Sleep quality

MeSH Terms

Actigraphy*
Humans
Mass Screening
Nocturnal Myoclonus Syndrome
Polysomnography
Seoul
Sleep Apnea, Obstructive*
Statistics as Topic