A new study published online today in the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine validates scoring guidelines that better enable physicians and respiratory technologists to review, verify, and interpret Itamar Medical WatchPAT sleep test automated scoring. The COMPASS study also found that the use of those guidelines is reliable and improves agreement between WatchPAT and gold standard polysomnography (PSG)-derived sleep and breathing indices across age and gender subgroups.

“WatchPAT significantly improves workflow by automatically rendering a fully scored report. This report is generated automatically from a unique set of signals, most notably the PAT Signal, which is used to stage sleep and recognize sleep disordered breathing events without requiring any sensors on the face or head to record electroencephalogram or airflow signals,” says Alan Schwartz, MD, principal investigator for the study, in a release. “Sleep physicians are accustomed to using scoring guidelines when interpreting sleep studies. This study takes the same concept a big step further. It provides the first validated scoring guidelines for physicians and technologists using PAT-based technologies. It should help sleep physicians unfamiliar with the PAT signal build

Recognizing and addressing the widespread problem of sleep disorders in military personnel and veterans, the U.S. Departments of Veterans Affairs and Defense (VA/DoD) jointly have issued new guidelines for assessment and treatment of insomnia and obstructive sleep apnea.

“This is a major step for these two organizations in recognizing the importance of appropriately diagnosing and treating sleep disorders in these unique populations,” says sleep medicine physician Vincent Mysliwiec, MD, researcher and retired U.S. Army colonel who helped author the guidelines, in a release.

Mysliwiec, a professor of research in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, is also lead author of a synopsis of the guidelines written for the March 2020 issue of Annals of Internal Medicine.

Military service is an established risk factor for sleep disorders, which are considerably more prevalent in military personnel and veterans than in the general US population. These populations also have high rates of traumatic brain injury, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and other mental health disorders, which combined with insomnia and/or sleep

Nyxoah SA, a Belgium-based healthtech company developing neuromodulation-based therapeutic solutions for sleep-disordered breathing, has raised €25 million in a private financing round. Completion of the financing round is subject to customary closing conditions and is expected to occur later this month.

ResMed Inc joined as a new shareholder.

Under the lead of Robert Taub, Nyxoah executive chairman, Cochlear Ltd and several historical shareholders completed the €25 million financing round.

The proceeds will enable Nyxoah to further advance in developing long-term clinical evidence on the Genio system, prepare for the investigational device exemption pivotal trial in the United States, and accelerate the ongoing market access and commercialization activities in Europe, Australia, and New Zealand.

Olivier Taelman, CEO of Nyxoah, says, “We have an innovative approach to treating OSA. Having ResMed, the global leader in sleep apnea, support this significant funding round along with our existing shareholders will help Nyxoah to further accelerate its development.”

Physicians explain how snoring can sound when a person is experiencing sleep apnea.

“There are basically two types of snores,” said David Swanson, supervisor at Providence Holy Family Hospital’s sleep clinic and a respiratory therapist. “One is just a rhythmic type of snore, and usually the volume level stays about the same.”

With that, you typically won’t snore, or the sound softens if you move from your back to side.

“The other type of snoring, which about 75% of people who snore will have, is obstructive sleep apnea along with that snore. That’s more like a crescendo-type snore where the volume gets louder and louder, then all of the sudden you don’t hear anything for a while because the airway is closed.” That scenario sounds like a loud snort.

“It’s important to keep track of symptoms in addition to the snoring,” said Dr. Michael Cruz, with Spokane Ear, Nose and Throat and an ENT physician. Interrupted breathing could last 10 seconds or longer, Cruz added.

Get the full story at staradvertiser.com.

A new device could make it easier to monitor sleep apnea at home.

The device, described in a study published 20 January in the IEEE Journal of Biomedical and Health Informatics, uses a unique combination of bioimpedance (a measurement of electrical signals passing through the body) and machine learning algorithms.

In the latest advance, a group of researchers at imec and Ghent University, who had previously developed a device that measures bioimpedance, sought to explore whether the technique could also be used to monitor the breathing patterns of people with sleep apnea. Their device, called Robin, applies a small current to the body at a known frequency, and measures the resulting voltage at a different location after it passes through the body. As it turns out, Robin can be used to fairly accurately monitor a wearer’s breathing.

“When a patient breathes, air enters the lungs and the chest expands, resulting in impedance changes in the chest,” explains Tom Van Steenkiste, a researcher involved in the study. “By measuring bioimpedance on the chest… respiration can be estimated.”

The team then

Scientists say we need shut-eye to keep the brain healthy and guard against cognitive decline. Brain & Life explains why and how to get adequate rest.

How well we sleep impacts how we think and feel, as well as our alertness, memory, and concentration. “Sleep quality and quantity are directly related to the health of the brain,” says Beth A. Malow, MD, MS, FAAN, professor of neurology and director of the sleep disorders division at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville. Several studies have demonstrated an association between sleep disturbances such as insomnia, fragmented sleep, sleep apnea, and even excessive napping and an increased risk of cognitive decline over time, says Brendan P. Lucey, MD, assistant professor of neurology and director of the sleep medicine section at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.

Get the full story at brainandlife.org