The impact of a single night of continuous positive airway pressure titration on postural balance in patients with severe obstructive sleep apnea syndrome.

PURPOSE: Obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS), the most common sleep disorder, leads to impaired executive functions, attention, balance, and coordination. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of a single night of continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy on the postural balance of patients with severe OSAS using static posturography (SPG).

METHODS

This prospective cross-sectional comparative study evaluated patients with snoring, daytime sleepiness, and possible apnea who presented to the outpatient clinic. Patients diagnosed with severe OSAS underwent SPG analysis twice, after the first polysomnography and following a single-night CPAP therapy. All SPG parameters were assessed in the morning after sleep studies.

RESULTS

A total of 32 patients, comprising 28 males (87.5%), participated in the study. SPG analysis performed under eyes-opened condition revealed a significant decrease in anteroposterior sway, sway area, delta y, lateral sway velocity, and sway area velocity. In tandem posture, a remarkably reduced body sway was observed following the CPAP treatment. In contrast, none of the SPG parameters assessed under eyes-closed conditions significantly decrease.

CONCLUSION

This study demonstrated that a single-night CPAP therapy improved several SPG parameters, thereby enhancing postural balance in individuals with severe OSAS. A single-night CPAP therapy might prevent falls and daytime accidents or injuries in these patients.