Am I crazy? Or is my CPAP not detecting UARS?

General Discussion on any topic relating to CPAP and/or Sleep Apnea.
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justinjustin
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Am I crazy? Or is my CPAP not detecting UARS?

Post by justinjustin » Tue May 27, 2014 1:54 pm

Hi All,

I'm looking at my flow curves and seeing tons of ratty looking flow curves, yet the CPAP isn't flagging any of the trouble spots (there are dozens/hundreds per night). My AHI and RDI are < 5, but I'm still incredibly fatigued.

Some docs suspect UARS, others dismissed it.

Am I crazy, or is this an example of UARS? Notice the shrinking and expanding of the flow 3x, with the curve getting chopped at the 3rd time.

Image


Here's a Centre for Sound Sleep diagram that demonstrates UARS:

Image

And then I see the same wave-like pattern in my sleep:

Image


I'm thinking of flying from Canada to see Dr. Krakow for a consult/sleep study. Am I crazy? Does this look like UARS to anyone?

_________________
Mask: Mirage Quattro™ Full Face CPAP Mask with Headgear
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Additional Comments: Complex Sleep Apnea, mainly CSA, with UARS. RDI of 30 w/o xPAP.

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avi123
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Re: Am I crazy? Or is my CPAP not detecting UARS?

Post by avi123 » Tue May 27, 2014 3:51 pm

del

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Humidifier: S9™ Series H5i™ Heated Humidifier with Climate Control
Additional Comments:  S9 Autoset machine; Ruby chinstrap under the mask straps; ResScan 5.6
Last edited by avi123 on Mon Aug 18, 2014 12:15 pm, edited 1 time in total.
see my recent set-up and Statistics:
http://i.imgur.com/TewT8G9.png
see my recent ResScan treatment results:
http://i.imgur.com/3oia0EY.png
http://i.imgur.com/QEjvlVY.png

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Todzo
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Location: Washington State U.S.A.

Re: Am I crazy? Or is my CPAP not detecting UARS?

Post by Todzo » Tue May 27, 2014 5:37 pm

Upper Airway Resistance Syndrome (UARS) is a fight. The air flow flattens (not seen so much in the flow waveforms you supplied) but if you look at the amount of vacuum in the esophagus you would find that each breath shows a bit more vacuum as the event proceeds. Respiratory effort can become great enough to warp the walls of the heart.

Most people think of sleep apnea only as obstructive sleep apnea. However there is a much broader spectrum of causes of apnea. As well the point at which arousal occurs with an event may well change. They are beginning to sort it out[2,3].

In terms of your being “constantly fatigued but my AHI looks good” I am suspicious that this results from two of the nonanatomic causes of sleep apnea[2,3] ganging up on you as you use CPAP. High respiratory control system gain working with low arousal threshold could mean that the times of more breathing brought forth by the respiratory gain issues would cause respiratory effort above your low arousal threshold and fracture your sleep with excessive arousals.

Even the newest PAPs do not treat this sort of thing well. In a recent comparison study looking at how CompSAS responds to treatment by ASV vs CPAP[1] they found that at the end of 90 days both arms were essentially equal in the number of arousals with over twenty per hour still in play. Both arms had excessive daytime sleepiness affected only a little by treatment. ASV however did well to severely reduce the hypocapnic central events so probably does better protect the brain.

I have found EERS[4] helpful to deal with this issue.

I and others[5] have found moving vitamin D3 into its active range helpful.

And during my journey away from sleep apnea I have found that I did not know how to eat well or move well. My three years with a dietitian helped start me on my continuing life long journey to eat well. I still strive toward the basic goal of 10,000 steps a day (running about 80% at this time) and do intend to use more personal trainer time as I pursue an active lifestyle. Lately I have been thinking that running, which is known to help with brain development, might well be worth the risks to my knees at my advanced age. By eating well and moving well I hope to promote whole body metabolic health and I can say it does appear to help with my tendency to have centrals emerge as I use CPAP.

hth


[1] Morgenthaler TI, Kuzniar TJ, Wolfe LF, Willes L, McLain WC, Goldberg R. The complex sleep apnea resolution study: a prospective randomized controlled trial of continuous positive airway pressure versus adaptive servoventilation therapy. SLEEP 2014;37(5):927-934 Related article (commentary):833

[2] Danny J. Eckert, David P. White, Amy S. Jordan, Atul Malhotra, and Andrew Wellman "Defining Phenotypic Causes of Obstructive Sleep Apnea. Identification of Novel Therapeutic Targets", American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Vol. 188, No. 8 (2013), pp. 996-1004. doi: 10.1164/rccm.201303-0448OC

[3] Sairam Parthasarathy M.D., Emergence of Obstructive Sleep Apnea Phenotyping. From Weak to Strong! American Journal of Respitory and Critical Care Medicine VOL 188 2013
-- critical closing pressure [Pcrit] - Arousal Threshold - ventilatory control Loop gain - and genioglossal Muscle responsiveness. Pcrit, Loop, Arousal, Muscle (PALM)--

[4]: Gilmartin G, McGeehan B, Vigneault K, Daly RW, Manento M, Weiss JW, Thomas RJ.
Treatment of positive airway pressure treatment-associated respiratory instability with enhanced expiratory rebreathing space (EERS).
Source: J Clin Sleep Med. 2010 Dec 15;6(6):529-38. Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA, USA.
Link: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21206741

[5]: Those who are working with the D3 hormone (A.K.A. Vitamin D3) (e.g. Dr. Stasha Gominak, Michael F. Holick, Ph.D., M.D., Vitamin D Council) seem to be finding that the very low side of the “normal” range of 30-100 ng/L produces a range of symptoms including OSA, pain, and infection. All believe that a level lower than 50 ng/mL is not good and Dr. Stasha Gominak recommends 60-80 ng/mL for good health. It would probably be wise to check your vitamin D3 levels. See “The Vitamin D Council” for assay details.
May any shills trolls sockpuppets or astroturfers at cpaptalk.com be like chaff before the wind!

musculus
Posts: 222
Joined: Tue Feb 26, 2013 8:35 am

Re: Am I crazy? Or is my CPAP not detecting UARS?

Post by musculus » Tue May 27, 2014 6:09 pm

UARS is harder to treat. Usually mild nasal congestion is present, contributing to the negative pressure in throat, which in turn leads to soft tissue collapse.
Todzo wrote:Upper Airway Resistance Syndrome (UARS) is a fight. The air flow flattens (not seen so much in the flow waveforms you supplied) but if you look at the amount of vacuum in the esophagus you would find that each breath shows a bit more vacuum as the event proceeds. Respiratory effort can become great enough to warp the walls of the heart.

Most people think of sleep apnea only as obstructive sleep apnea. However there is a much broader spectrum of causes of apnea. As well the point at which arousal occurs with an event may well change. They are beginning to sort it out[2,3].

In terms of your being “constantly fatigued but my AHI looks good” I am suspicious that this results from two of the nonanatomic causes of sleep apnea[2,3] ganging up on you as you use CPAP. High respiratory control system gain working with low arousal threshold could mean that the times of more breathing brought forth by the respiratory gain issues would cause respiratory effort above your low arousal threshold and fracture your sleep with excessive arousals.

Even the newest PAPs do not treat this sort of thing well. In a recent comparison study looking at how CompSAS responds to treatment by ASV vs CPAP[1] they found that at the end of 90 days both arms were essentially equal in the number of arousals with over twenty per hour still in play. Both arms had excessive daytime sleepiness affected only a little by treatment. ASV however did well to severely reduce the hypocapnic central events so probably does better protect the brain.

I have found EERS[4] helpful to deal with this issue.

I and others[5] have found moving vitamin D3 into its active range helpful.

And during my journey away from sleep apnea I have found that I did not know how to eat well or move well. My three years with a dietitian helped start me on my continuing life long journey to eat well. I still strive toward the basic goal of 10,000 steps a day (running about 80% at this time) and do intend to use more personal trainer time as I pursue an active lifestyle. Lately I have been thinking that running, which is known to help with brain development, might well be worth the risks to my knees at my advanced age. By eating well and moving well I hope to promote whole body metabolic health and I can say it does appear to help with my tendency to have centrals emerge as I use CPAP.

hth


[1] Morgenthaler TI, Kuzniar TJ, Wolfe LF, Willes L, McLain WC, Goldberg R. The complex sleep apnea resolution study: a prospective randomized controlled trial of continuous positive airway pressure versus adaptive servoventilation therapy. SLEEP 2014;37(5):927-934 Related article (commentary):833

[2] Danny J. Eckert, David P. White, Amy S. Jordan, Atul Malhotra, and Andrew Wellman "Defining Phenotypic Causes of Obstructive Sleep Apnea. Identification of Novel Therapeutic Targets", American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Vol. 188, No. 8 (2013), pp. 996-1004. doi: 10.1164/rccm.201303-0448OC

[3] Sairam Parthasarathy M.D., Emergence of Obstructive Sleep Apnea Phenotyping. From Weak to Strong! American Journal of Respitory and Critical Care Medicine VOL 188 2013
-- critical closing pressure [Pcrit] - Arousal Threshold - ventilatory control Loop gain - and genioglossal Muscle responsiveness. Pcrit, Loop, Arousal, Muscle (PALM)--

[4]: Gilmartin G, McGeehan B, Vigneault K, Daly RW, Manento M, Weiss JW, Thomas RJ.
Treatment of positive airway pressure treatment-associated respiratory instability with enhanced expiratory rebreathing space (EERS).
Source: J Clin Sleep Med. 2010 Dec 15;6(6):529-38. Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA, USA.
Link: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21206741

[5]: Those who are working with the D3 hormone (A.K.A. Vitamin D3) (e.g. Dr. Stasha Gominak, Michael F. Holick, Ph.D., M.D., Vitamin D Council) seem to be finding that the very low side of the “normal” range of 30-100 ng/L produces a range of symptoms including OSA, pain, and infection. All believe that a level lower than 50 ng/mL is not good and Dr. Stasha Gominak recommends 60-80 ng/mL for good health. It would probably be wise to check your vitamin D3 levels. See “The Vitamin D Council” for assay details.

_________________
Mask: Quattro™ Air Full Face Mask with Headgear
Additional Comments: sleepyhead

musculus
Posts: 222
Joined: Tue Feb 26, 2013 8:35 am

Re: Am I crazy? Or is my CPAP not detecting UARS?

Post by musculus » Tue May 27, 2014 6:13 pm

It turns out that I fit the UARS profile perfectly:
decreased retrolingual space, narrow nasal passages, or a small neck circumference
avi123 wrote:my Resmed S9 Autoset does provide a graph of Flow Limitation which also include also UARS. I think that I myself have some UAR syndrome.


This is a graph of the machine decided pressure during my treatment in APAP mode:

Image




And this is how my Flow Limitation graph looks like:


Image

The machine looks at the shape of each respiration wave and decides how out of roundness the top shape of the curve is and gives it a weighting:

Image

These are actual shapes of my respirations flow curves, and the calculated Flow Limitation graph, on top:

Image

The following is the content of the article in the Chest website from 2011 authored by the following:
Olukayode Ogunrinde, MD; Herbert J. Yue, MD; and Christian Guilleminault, MD, BiolD

Dr. Ogunrinde is Clinical Fellow, Department of Sleep Medicine, Stanford University; Dr. Yue is Clinical Fellow, Department of Sleep Medicine, Stanford University; and Dr. Guilleminault is Professor, Division of Sleep Medicine, Stanford University Medical School, Redwood City, California.
Drs. Ogunrinde, Yue, and Guilleminault have disclosed no significant relationships with the companies/organizations whose products or services may be discussed within this chapter.
Objectives
1.Identify the demographics of previously described patients with upper airway resistance syndrome (UARS).
2.Describe the polysomnographic findings in UARS, including markers of increased respiratory effort.
3.Discuss the clinical symptoms of UARS and their link to functional somatic syndromes.
4.Describe the EEG findings during a respiratory event in UARS.
5.Identify the current treatment options for UARS, as well as the benefits and risks of each.

Key words: cyclical alternating pattern; sleep-disordered breathing; upper airway resistance syndrome

Abbreviations: CAP = cyclical alternating pattern; CPAP = continuous positive airway pressure; LAUP = laser-assisted uvuloplasty; MSLT = multiple sleep latency testing; NREM = nonrapid eye movement; OHS = obstructive hypopnea syndrome; OSAS = obstructive sleep apnea syndrome; Pes = esophageal pressure; REM = rapid eye movement; RERA = respiratory effort-related arousal; UARS = upper airway resistance syndrome

Professional Practice Gap

Over the past few years, numerous articles have been published that have increased our understanding of the features of upper airway resistance syndrome (UARS). UARS has been previously described as a distinct clinical syndrome, although there is ongoing controversy and some consider it to be part of a spectrum of sleep-disordered breathing that includes primary snoring, obstructive hypopnea syndrome (OHS), and obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS). However, patients with UARS present with different polysomnographic abnormalities and do not meet generally accepted criteria for either apneas or hypopneas. The lack of education about UARS in the medical community has allowed these patients to go undiagnosed and untreated. Increased research into UARS will help us to identify the optimal treatment for these patients, as well as to educate clinicians about this relatively under-recognized population.

Introduction

UARS is characterized by abnormal respiratory effort, nasal airflow limitation, absence of obstructive sleep apnea, minimal pulse oximetry fluctuation with oxygen saturation nadirs ≥92%, and frequent nocturnal arousals or reflex brainstem activation.1 It was first recognized in children in 1982, although the term UARS was not used until the first adult cases were reported in 1993.2,3 The incidence and prevalence of UARS has been systematically investigated in a recent São Paulo epidemiologic study4 (discussed below in “Epidemiologic Studies of UARS”). Prior to the São Paulo study, some have reported prevalence rates of 8% to 20% in the literature.5,6 We now know that this syndrome has recognizable clinical and polysomnographic characteristics that differ from those observed in patients with OHS/OSAS. UARS occurs in all age groups without any clear sex preferences, although some studies suggest that women may be at increased risk. UARS has the potential for significant impact on the daytime functioning and quality of life in untreated patients and there is growing evidence to suggest that symptoms are progressive without treatment.

Pathophysiology

Sleep-disordered breathing affects multiple aspects of the upper airway and respiratory tract, including the nasal passage, nasopharynx, oropharynx, hypopharynx, and supraglottic larynx. In these patients (primarily those with OSAS), multiple changes to the control of the upper airway have been described, including development of lesions in the soft tissue and changes in the upper airway dilator muscles, all in response to repetitive airway obstruction.7 Histologic studies have demonstrated significant abnormalities in biopsy samples taken from the palate and posterior pharynx. The most consistent finding has been evidence of a neurogenic lesion, with progressive abnormalities identical to those associated with a polyneuropathy.8,9 In patients with OSAS, poor responses to airway collapse or instability are often seen and thought to be related to blunting of the afferent upper airway receptors. In contrast to patients with OSAS, similar lesions have not been described in those with UARS. In a study of 45 subjects evenly divided into one group with OSAS, one group with UARS, and a control group, no significant sensory differences in palatal two-point discrimination were seen between control individuals and those with UARS.10 Of note, those with OSAS were observed to have significant decrements in their palatal two-point discrimination, consistent with the prior findings of neurogenic lesions. Other contributors to the pathophysiology of UARS include an increase in airway collapsibility owing to abnormal inspiratory and expiratory airflow dynamics.11,12 Increased nasal airflow resistance has also been thought to contribute to the breathing impairment seen in UARS, with frequent clinical findings of collapsible nasal valves, enlarged nasal turbinates, a deviated septum, or a combination of these findings in UARS patients.13

Epidemiologic Studies of UARS

The only known epidemiologic study of UARS has been one performed as part of an epidemiologic study of sleep disorders in the city of São Paulo, Brazil, in 2007. The São Paulo Sleep Epidemiologic Study is a population-based, cross-sectional study of sleep disturbances and their risk factors.4 Methodological details of the São Paulo Epidemiologic Sleep Study are published. A total of 1,042 volunteers underwent polysomnography at the Sleep Institute of the Federal University of São Paulo; the refusal rate was a very low 5.4%. The criteria used for scoring for UARS were those described by Bao and Guilleminault.14 Polysomnography was performed according to American Academy of Sleep Medicine guidelines.15 The prevalence of UARS for the total sample was 15.5%. It was higher in women (21.87% vs 15.19%) and also in people aged <40 years (31.04% vs 5.49%).

Clinical Features

Patients with UARS have symptoms similar to those seen in OSAS, although there are some distinct features. Much of the research performed has attempted to identify and describe a group of patients with significant daytime sleepiness and disrupted sleep, but without the other dominant clinical features seen in OSAS. Typical symptoms reported by patients with UARS include excessive daytime sleepiness, fatigue, difficulty concentrating, morning headaches, and unrefreshing sleep. There can be also be a significant impairment in daytime functioning; a recent study demonstrated that subjects with UARS performed worse than patients with obstructive sleep apnea hypopnea syndrome and normal control individuals on different aspects of the Psychomotor Vigilance Task.16 In a separate study, upwards of 30% of subjects with UARS had abnormal sleep-onset latency on the Maintenance of Wakefulness Test.17 Individuals with abnormal airway anatomy are at increased risk, including those with a decreased retrolingual space, narrow nasal passages, or a small neck circumference.6 Patients are typically not obese, with a mean BMI often <25 kg/m2.3 They are also usually younger than those in whom OSAS is diagnosed, with a mean age of approximately 38 years.3 Snoring is not a requisite symptom, with 10% to 15% or more of patients having never or only intermittently snored.3,18

Patients with UARS are also more likely to report symptoms of frequent nocturnal awakening with difficulty falling back to sleep.19 This is thought to be a potential reason for increased complaints of insomnia amongst patients with UARS, including sleep onset and sleep maintenance problems. In addition to difficulties with acute insomnia, patients with UARS also have an increased likelihood of carrying a diagnosis of chronic insomnia. Other notable complaints include parasomnias, especially sleepwalking, sleep talking, and sleep terrors.20 Patients may also have symptoms of abnormal autonomic function, including lightheadedness or dizziness on rising from a supine or sitting position, cold hands and feet, and low resting blood pressures (defined as a systolic BP <105 mm Hg with a diastolic BP <65 mm Hg). In a study of 400 patients with UARS, more than 20% met criteria for low BP, a significantly higher prevalence when compared with people who have OSAS (0.6%) or insomnia (0.9%).21 Interestingly, all subjects in the study had evidence of a small oral cavity on examination with a narrowed airway space dimension on cephalometric radiographs, consistent with other reports.22 Lastly, patients with UARS have increased rates of symptoms such as gastroesophageal reflux, muscular pain, diarrhea, abdominal pain, depression, and anxiety. This has led some authors to suggest a link between UARS and functional somatic syndromes, such as irritable bowel syndrome, chronic fatigue syndrome, and fibromyalgia. In a study of 75 subjects equally divided into three groups (UARS, mild to moderate OSAS, and severe OSAS), those with UARS were more likely to report symptoms of headache, irritable bowel symptoms, and sleep-initiation insomnia.23 Subjects with UARS were also more likely to have alpha intrusion during slow-wave sleep, a polysomnographic finding described in a number of fatigue syndromes.24 In children with UARS, symptoms consistent with attention deficit disorder or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder may be present, with behavioral changes leading to poor school performance.25 Table 1 lists symptoms associated with UARS.



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tables and other illustrations are not included
Table 1—Clinical Features Associated With UARS


Daytime symptoms Excessive daytime sleepiness
Fatigue
Morning headaches
Myalgias
Difficulty concentrating
Sleep disturbances Frequent nocturnal awakenings
Difficulties initiating sleep
Insomnia
Bruxism
Restless leg syndrome
Unrefreshing sleep
Autonomic nervous system Hypotension
Orthostasis
Cold hands and feet
Functional somatic syndrome associations Depression
Anxiety
Chronic fatigue syndrome
Irritable bowel syndrome
Fibromyalgia
Polysomnographic abnormalities Increased RERAs
Increased nocturnal arousals
Increased CAP rate
Alpha intrusion during sleep

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Diagnosis

Patients with UARS can present with a constellation of generalized and/or specific symptoms and a clinical examination often demonstrates craniofacial abnormalities. As noted previously, many of the prior difficulties in making a diagnosis of UARS arose because these patients do not meet polysomnographic criteria for OSAS. In the original description of UARS back in 1991, repetitive increases in upper airway resistance associated with arousals were observed in 15 subjects, defined as an increase in the peak inspiratory esophageal pressure that immediately preceded a transient arousal.3 A diagnosis of UARS requires patient symptoms, evidence of upper airway narrowing or craniofacial abnormalities, and appropriate associated polysomnographic findings. When an overnight polysomnogram is performed on a patient with UARS, there are no apneas with a hypopnea index <5, the oxygen saturation is usually >92%, and there is evidence of respiratory effort-related arousals (RERAs). Flow limitation can also be present, identified as an abnormal contour in the nasal pressure transducer signal waveform.3,14 Other techniques have been used to detect the subtle changes in respiration, such as the oral/nasal thermistor, pneumotachograph, quantitative respiratory plethysmography, and nasal cannula/pressure transducer, although measurement of esophageal pressure (Pes), or esophageal manometry, remains the gold standard.26,27

Typically, a pediatric feeding tube is used in the measurements of esophageal pressure during sleep. A number of characteristic Pes patterns associated with RERAs have been described.28,29 Pes crescendo (Fig 1) is a progressive increase in negative peak inspiratory pressure with each breath that terminates with an EEG arousal, typically a burst of alpha or delta activity. Other changes include sustained continuous respiratory effort; the Pes tracing shows a stable and persistently abnormal negative peak inspiratory pressure, different from the baseline pressure and present for more than four breaths. In both instances, the increase in respiratory effort is not usually associated with oxyhemoglobin desaturation and there may be a flattening in the nasal pressure transducer waveform, consistent with flow limitation (Figs 2, 3). The termination of both Pes crescendo and flow limitation is called Pes reversal, which is a decrease in respiratory effort indicated by a less negative peak inspiratory pressure, often without an associated EEG arousal (Fig 4). Heart rate variability is often seen during events of increased respiratory effort. Patients with UARS may also have more negative peak inspiratory pressure during nonrapid eye movement (NREM) sleep, especially slow-wave sleep, as compared with rapid eye movement sleep.30 Patients with UARS have also been described to have less NREM (both stage 1 and stage 2) sleep and more slow-wave sleep when compared with other patients with sleep-disordered breathing, although no significant difference in arousal threshold was seen.31

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Figure 1. Pes crescendo. Note the esophageal pressure recording at the bottom of the tracing.
L13Fig2

Figure 2. Flow limitation on a polysomnogram. Note the association between CAP, with phase A2 and A345 indicative of sleep disruption, and the continuous flow limitation seen on the nasal cannula recording (duration of sample, 5 min).
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L13Fig3
Figure 3. Flow limitation on polysomnogram monitored at slow speed (duration of sample, 30 s) Note the abnormal shape of the nasal cannula pressure transducer flow curve, with disappearance of the normal “round” curve with each breath. Note also the downward movement of the finger plethysmography (finger PPG) over-curve indicating sympathetic brainstem activation. Simultaneously, the EEG (right side of figure) changes to lower amplitude and faster frequency, indicative of a short arousal response.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
L13Fig4

Figure 4. Pes reversal. Note the esophageal pressure recording at the bottom of the tracing.



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Patients with UARS may also have characteristic changes in their EEG patterns during sleep. As noted previously, prior studies have shown that subjects with UARS have increased amounts of alpha frequency on EEG when compared with patients who have either OSAS or OHS.32,33 Other investigations using power spectrum EEG analysis have demonstrated that UARS patients have more theta and low alpha powers (7 to 9 Hz) during NREM sleep and more delta power during rapid eye movement sleep.29 Although an arousal is frequently seen following termination of an event associated with increased respiratory effort (ie, Pes crescendo or continuous increased respiratory effort), studies have shown that Pes reversal can occur in the absence of any clear arousal. In a study of 15 patients with UARS, a spectral analysis was performed on EEG data from central leads. The authors noted EEG changes in association with Pes events, including an increase in delta frequency activity prior to Pes reversal, and with increases in other frequencies after the event, suggesting that significant EEG changes are occurring with Pes events, even when an arousal is not visible.29

Lastly, patients with UARS have evidence of increased rates of the cyclical alternating pattern (CAP) on EEG. CAPs are a well-described pattern of NREM sleep, defined as electrocortical events that are distinct from background EEG activity and occur with a periodicity.34 An increase in CAP frequency is generally associated with sleep instability/disturbance and CNS hyperactivity and has been observed in a number of conditions, including sleep-disordered breathing, restless leg syndrome, and insomnia.31 In a study of 30 patients with UARS, increased CAP rates were seen in addition to more EEG arousals and higher markers of sleep disruption and transition (A2 and A3 indices of CAP).35 More importantly, the CAP rate was correlated with daytime symptoms of sleepiness and fatigue. This finding suggests that normalization of the breathing events in patients with UARS/sleep-disordered breathing may not be sufficient to fully treat their daytime symptoms and that addressing EEG abnormalities is important as well.

Treatment

The optimal treatment for patients with UARS is not currently known. Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) has been quite useful in the treatment of sleep-disordered breathing and there are some notable positive results in CPAP treatment of UARS. In a study of 15 heavy snorers with clinical evidence of UARS, treatment with nasal CPAP was associated with decreases in observed nocturnal arousals on polysomnography and decreases in mean sleep latency times on multiple sleep latency testing (MSLT) after several nights of treatment.3,36 A follow-up study of 15 subjects (in the original description of UARS) with daytime sleepiness and fatigue and who had undergone a therapeutic trial of positive pressure therapy reported similar findings.3 After treatment with approximately a month of nasal CPAP, significant improvements were seen in mean sleep latency times on MSLT (5.3 minutes vs 13.5 minutes), Pes nadir pressure (–33.1 cm H2O vs –5.3 cm H2O), amount of slow-wave sleep (1.2% vs 9.7%), and EEG arousals (31.3 vs 7.9 events/hour of sleep). Along with an improvement in sleep latency times on MSLT, there were subjective reports of improved daytime symptoms. Lastly, in a study of 130 postmenopausal women with chronic insomnia and evidence of UARS (n=62) or normal breathing (n=68), treatment with either nasal turbinectomy or nasal CPAP was associated with improvements in subjective reports of sleep quality as measured with a visual analog scale as well as mean sleep latency times on polysomnography.19 Despite the growing body of evidence supporting the use of positive pressure therapy for UARS patients, it remains difficult to obtain therapy. In a follow-up study of more than 90 patients conducted 4 to 5 years after the initial diagnosis of UARS was made, none of the subjects were receiving CPAP treatment; the main rationale given was that their insurance provider declined to provide the necessary equipment.1 Formal follow-up clinical evaluations of these patients noted significant worsening in their sleep-related complaints, with increased reports of fatigue, insomnia, and depressive mood. More disturbingly, prescriptions for hypnotics, stimulants, and antidepressants increased more than fivefold.

Other interventions, such as surgery or oral appliances, have also been used with some success in the treatment of patients with UARS. Procedures such as uvulopalatopharyngoplasty, laser-assisted uvuloplasty (LAUP), septoplasty with turbinate reduction, genioglossus advancement, and radiofrequency ablation of the palate have all been described in the literature.37-40 A study of LAUP in nine patients with UARS who underwent uvulopalatopharyngoplasty (n=2), multilevel pharyngeal surgery (n=1), or LAUP (n=6) reported improvements in subjective daytime sleepiness as measured with Epworth Sleepiness Scale scores.37 In the two patients for whom postoperative polysomnographic data was available, significant improvements in Pes nadir pressures were seen. But patients had several interventions and it is difficult to assess which one was successful. A study of 14 patients with UARS who underwent radiofrequency ablation of the palate also reported improvement in subjective sleepiness, with concurrent improvements in Pes nadir levels and reports of snoring.40 However, prior reviews of the available literature have noted that many of the studies evaluated small numbers of patients, consisted of uncontrolled case reports or series without clear characterization of the subjects enrolled, and had no consistent end points for an adequate evaluation of efficacy.39 Further investigation is required to determine the specific role for surgical intervention in these patients. Other authors have also reported successful treatment of UARS with use of oral appliances, although these studies suffer from the same limitations as the surgical literature.41 In children, orthodontic approaches, such as maxillary distraction or use of expanders, have also shown promising results.42

Conclusion

Although UARS has a symptomatology close to the one seen in patients with OSAS, there are distinct clinical differences between the two syndromes. In clinical studies, it is seen more in younger, slim subjects and in premenopausal women; it is more commonly associated with an increase in vagal tone during sleep than with sympathetic hyperactivity (as seen in association with apnea and hypopnea and oxygen desaturation).21 Can individuals with UARS become patients with OSAS? Guilleminault and colleagues1 suggested that weight increase (with development of a chest-bellow problem related to abdominal obesity) and the association of the supine position and sleep (leading to a restrictive impairment and secondary oxygen saturation drop and sympathetic hyperactivity) will lead to passage from one presentation to another with different complications; but more data are needed from additional systematic, longitudinal studies.1 UARS is underdiagnosed owing to unfamiliarity with the syndrome and the lack of polysomnographic criteria for either hypopneas or apneas that are associated with other types of sleep-disordered breathing. The advent of use of an esophageal catheter for esophageal pressure measurement (Pes) has allowed clinicians to more clearly identify patients with UARS. Although Pes measurement is the most sensitive method available to detect the abnormal respiratory events in UARS, it has not been used widely for several reasons, including lack of clinician experience and patient reports of discomfort. Usage of the nasal cannula pressure transducer allows recognition of flow limitation.43 But guidelines on how to tabulate the amount of flow limitation during total sleep time are lacking. Patients with UARS have significant impairment in their daytime functioning, with reports of sleepiness, fatigue, and sleep disruption. A follow-up study of these patients has shown that they often go untreated and experience progressive worsening of their symptoms. Among those patients who have been treated, typically with CPAP therapy, many have experienced symptomatic improvement. The current fund of knowledge regarding UARS has been growing, and we are beginning to understand the underlying pathophysiology.

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References
1.Guilleminault C, Kirisoglu C, Poyares D, et al. Upper airway resistance syndrome: a long-term outcome study. Journal of Psychiatr Res. 2006;40(3):273-279.
2.Guilleminault C, Winkle R, Korobkin R, Simmons B. Children and nocturnal snoring: evaluation of the effects of sleep related respiratory resistive load and daytime functioning. Eur J Pediatr. 1982;139(3):165-171.
3.Guilleminault C, Stoohs R, Clerk A, Cetel M, Maistros P. A cause of daytime sleepiness: the upper airway resistance syndrome. Chest. 1993;104(3):781-787.
4.Santos-Silva R, Tufik S, Conway SG, Taddei JA, Bittencourt LR. São Paulo Epidemiologic Sleep Study: rationale, design, sampling, and procedures. Sleep Med. 2009;10(6):679-685.
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17.Powers CR, Frey WC. Maintenance of wakefulness test in military personnel with upper airway resistance syndrome and mild to moderate obstructive sleep apnea. Sleep Breath. 2009;13(3):253-258.
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19.Guilleminault C, Palombini L, Poyares D, et al. Chronic insomnia, premenopausal women, and sleep disordered breathing: part 2. Comparison of nondrug treatment trials in normal breathing and UARS post menopausal women complaining of insomnia. J Psychosom Res. 2002;53(1):617-623.
20.Guilleminault C, Kirisoglu C, da Rosa AC, Lopes C, Chan A. Sleepwalking, a disorder of NREM sleep instability. Sleep Med. 2006;7(2):163-170.
21.Guilleminault C, Faul JL, Stoohs R. Sleep-disordered breathing and hypotension. Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 2001;164(7):1242-1247.
22.Ingman T, Nieminen T, Hurmerinta K. Cephalometric comparison of pharyngeal changes in subjects with upper airway resistance syndrome or obstructive sleep apnoea in upright and supine positions. Eur J Orthod. 2004;26(3):321-326.
23.Gold AR, Dipalo F, Gold MS, O’Hearn D. The symptoms and signs of upper airway resistance syndrome: a link to the functional somatic syndromes. Chest. 2003;123(1):87-95.
24.Manu P, Lane TJ, Matthews DA, Castriotta RJ, Watson RK, Abeles M. Alpha-delta sleep in patients with a chief complaint of chronic fatigue. South Med J. 1994;87(4):465-470.
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26.Ayappa I, Norman RG, Krieger AC, Rosen A, O’Malley RL, Rapoport DM. Noninvasive detection of respiratory effort-related arousals (RERAs) by a nasal cannula/pressure transducer system. Sleep. 2000;23(6):763-771.
27.Serebrisky D, Cordero R, Mandeli J, Kattan M, Lamm C. Assessment of inspiratory flow limitation in children with sleep-disordered breathing by a nasal cannula pressure transducer system. Pediatr Pulmonol. 2002;33(5):380-387.
28.Guilleminault C, Poyares D, Palombini L, Koester U, Pelin Z, Black J. Variability of respiratory effort in relation to sleep stages in normal controls and upper airway resistance syndrome patients. Sleep Med. 2001;2(5):397-405.
29.Black J, Guilleminault C, Colrain I, Carrillo O. Upper airway resistance syndrome: central electroencephalographic power and changes in breathing effort. Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 2000;162(2 Pt 1):406-411.
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33.Poyares D, Guilleminault C, Rosa A, Ohayon M, Koester U. Arousal, EEG spectral power and pulse transit time in UARS and mild OSAS subjects. Clin Neurophysiol. 2002;113(10):1598-1606.
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35.Guilleminault C, Lopes MC, Hagen CC, da Rosa A. The cyclic alternating pattern demonstrates increased sleep instability and correlates with fatigue and sleepiness in adults with upper airway resistance syndrome. Sleep. 2007;30(5):641-647.
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Re: Am I crazy? Or is my CPAP not detecting UARS?

Post by Rustsmith » Tue May 27, 2014 6:43 pm

Justin, first you need to keep in mind that there is not a consensus within the medical community as to exactly how to define and diagnose UARS. Some seem to think that it is just the mild end of spectrum of obstructive sleep apnea. Others lean more towards UARS being a separate, but related form of sleep disordered breathing. The document quoted in Avi's response was written by the doctors at Stanford and one of the authors is viewed as the leading expert on UARS and the first physician to actually define the condition.

As for whether it is even possible for your machine can detect UARS, that depends upon which of the camps you lean toward. The UARS is a spectrum of OSA camp would say that UARS can be deduced from the breathing waveform. The other camp believes that UARS is better defined by restrictions in the throat that result in micro-arousals (of which you would not be not aware) and that these arousals are what disrupts sleep, not apneas or hypopneas or even reduced O2. Since none of the machines on the market have EEG type inputs to detect arousals, this camp would indicate that UARS cannot be detected - only complicated clues like crescendo breathing rates/volumes.

In reality, the current xPAP software is not designed to detect and adjust pressures for either type of UARS, just AHI measurements. It is also not likely that this is going to happen anytime soon since many insurance companies will not provide coverage for xPAP treatment for UARS. So it is a chicken-egg situation, the software is not going to be written to detect and adjust to UARS type flow limitations if the manufacturers cannot sell the machines and the insurance companies are not going to spend money on something that is not available nor is it backed by proven research. Even the abstract from Stanford that Avi posted says:
The optimal treatment for patients with UARS is not currently known. Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) has been quite useful in the treatment of sleep-disordered breathing and there are some notable positive results in CPAP treatment of UARS.
In science-speak, this statement is a long ways from the definitive statement that CPAP is an effective method of treating UARS that the insurance companies will need to see.

As a final bit of disclosure, I was diagnosed with UARS using the Pes measurement developed at Stanford. I also believe in the separate condition rather than the OSA spectrum position. Partly due to fact that I satisfy so many of the different physical conditions described by Stanford for UARS patients vs OSA patients:
Patients with UARS have symptoms similar to those seen in OSAS, although there are some distinct features. ... Typical symptoms reported by patients with UARS include excessive daytime sleepiness, fatigue, difficulty concentrating, morning headaches, and unrefreshing sleep. There can be also be a significant impairment in daytime functioning; a recent study demonstrated that subjects with UARS performed worse than patients with obstructive sleep apnea hypopnea syndrome and normal control individuals on different aspects of the Psychomotor Vigilance Task. ... Individuals with abnormal airway anatomy are at increased risk, including those with a decreased retrolingual space, narrow nasal passages, or a small neck circumference. Patients are typically not obese, with a mean BMI often <25 kg/m2. They are also usually younger than those in whom OSAS is diagnosed, with a mean age of approximately 38 years. Snoring is not a requisite symptom, with 10% to 15% or more of patients having never or only intermittently snored.
I did not snore (according to my wife), I have a BMI of 20 and a small neck size and the passage way in my throat is so small that I find it difficult to swallow large pills. The sleep disorder description also fits me to a tee. I also currently use APAP, but I am not sure how much good it is doing.

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Re: Am I crazy? Or is my CPAP not detecting UARS?

Post by justinjustin » Tue May 27, 2014 7:31 pm

Rustsmith wrote:Justin, first you need to keep in mind that there is not a consensus within the medical community as to exactly how to define and diagnose UARS. Some seem to think that it is just the mild end of spectrum of obstructive sleep apnea. Others lean more towards UARS being a separate, but related form of sleep disordered breathing. The document quoted in Avi's response was written by the doctors at Stanford and one of the authors is viewed as the leading expert on UARS and the first physician to actually define the condition.

As for whether it is even possible for your machine can detect UARS, that depends upon which of the camps you lean toward. The UARS is a spectrum of OSA camp would say that UARS can be deduced from the breathing waveform. The other camp believes that UARS is better defined by restrictions in the throat that result in micro-arousals (of which you would not be not aware) and that these arousals are what disrupts sleep, not apneas or hypopneas or even reduced O2. Since none of the machines on the market have EEG type inputs to detect arousals, this camp would indicate that UARS cannot be detected - only complicated clues like crescendo breathing rates/volumes.

In reality, the current xPAP software is not designed to detect and adjust pressures for either type of UARS, just AHI measurements. It is also not likely that this is going to happen anytime soon since many insurance companies will not provide coverage for xPAP treatment for UARS. So it is a chicken-egg situation, the software is not going to be written to detect and adjust to UARS type flow limitations if the manufacturers cannot sell the machines and the insurance companies are not going to spend money on something that is not available nor is it backed by proven research. Even the abstract from Stanford that Avi posted says:
The optimal treatment for patients with UARS is not currently known. Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) has been quite useful in the treatment of sleep-disordered breathing and there are some notable positive results in CPAP treatment of UARS.
In science-speak, this statement is a long ways from the definitive statement that CPAP is an effective method of treating UARS that the insurance companies will need to see.

As a final bit of disclosure, I was diagnosed with UARS using the Pes measurement developed at Stanford. I also believe in the separate condition rather than the OSA spectrum position. Partly due to fact that I satisfy so many of the different physical conditions described by Stanford for UARS patients vs OSA patients:
Patients with UARS have symptoms similar to those seen in OSAS, although there are some distinct features. ... Typical symptoms reported by patients with UARS include excessive daytime sleepiness, fatigue, difficulty concentrating, morning headaches, and unrefreshing sleep. There can be also be a significant impairment in daytime functioning; a recent study demonstrated that subjects with UARS performed worse than patients with obstructive sleep apnea hypopnea syndrome and normal control individuals on different aspects of the Psychomotor Vigilance Task. ... Individuals with abnormal airway anatomy are at increased risk, including those with a decreased retrolingual space, narrow nasal passages, or a small neck circumference. Patients are typically not obese, with a mean BMI often <25 kg/m2. They are also usually younger than those in whom OSAS is diagnosed, with a mean age of approximately 38 years. Snoring is not a requisite symptom, with 10% to 15% or more of patients having never or only intermittently snored.
I did not snore (according to my wife), I have a BMI of 20 and a small neck size and the passage way in my throat is so small that I find it difficult to swallow large pills. The sleep disorder description also fits me to a tee. I also currently use APAP, but I am not sure how much good it is doing.
Im exactly in the same camp. All the symptoms (found elsewhere in research) fit me perfectly, as well as your description with respect to my anatomy. I feel like I'm going crazy; every specialist shrugs and tells me that I'm fine. But I'm *extremely* fatigued constantly. I'm fully willing to purchase a BiPAP ($2000), but I'm worried even this won't help. I'm also considering flying to see Dr. Krakow (there goes another $3000).

At the end of the day, all of the dead-ends makes me question whether I even have UARS / a sleep problem despite my intense fatigue. It's demoralizing and confusing. Are you on BiPAP or just APAP?

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Re: Am I crazy? Or is my CPAP not detecting UARS?

Post by Rustsmith » Tue May 27, 2014 8:19 pm

I am on APAP with the flex setting at 3. Officially, the AHI during the first night of my sleep study as 10, which I find rather suspicious since that is the minimum value required by my insurance coverage for any type of treatment. However, my RDI was 26/hr and I was pulling some pretty strong vacuum numbers with the Pes measurements. The RDI number explained why I wasn't getting any rest or much deep sleep.

Interestingly, during the second night of my sleep study they also installed the Pes catheter for the titration. The normal OSA type indicators during titration said that my problem would be resolved with about 7.5 cm, but the Pes indicated that I needed at least 9 to keep my throat completely open. My take on that was that without the Pes, I would have a scrip for 7 or 8 cm and since the machines don't adjust well to UARS, I would not have gotten the minimal benefit that I currently have.

Finally, I am a bit different from most in that I use a Devilbiss machine. The Clinical manual from them provides a parameter in their software that they say makes it a bit more sensitive to UARS (it adjusts one of the hypopnea detection parameters). I recently set it back to the default to see what would happen and my AHI dropped from ~5 to ~1.5, which I take as an indicator of how minimally effective the default values are for treating what I see as true UARS.

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Re: Am I crazy? Or is my CPAP not detecting UARS?

Post by wut » Tue May 27, 2014 8:48 pm

which I find rather suspicious since that is the minimum value required by my insurance coverage for any type of treatment.
My last sleep study only referenced my AHI and "flow limitations disturbing sleep 50%" during the study. No mention or UARS. Just the AHI which was sufficient for insurance to cover the machine (first an APAP, then a BiPAP). I did think it was odd that the sleep report focused only on AHI. (In prior studies at the same sleep lab, UARS was confirmed with a Pes.)

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Re: Am I crazy? Or is my CPAP not detecting UARS?

Post by avi123 » Tue May 27, 2014 9:08 pm

examples of hi flow limitations on Resmed machines:

Image
The following is by another poster. Not me.
Image

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Re: Am I crazy? Or is my CPAP not detecting UARS?

Post by sleepy1235 » Sun Jun 01, 2014 6:13 am

http://69.36.35.38/accp/pccsu/upper-air ... e?page=0,0

the above I think is the link for the article .

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Re: Am I crazy? Or is my CPAP not detecting UARS?

Post by sleepy1235 » Sun Jun 01, 2014 6:23 am


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Re: Am I crazy? Or is my CPAP not detecting UARS?

Post by mellabella » Tue Jun 03, 2014 7:48 am

I made a separate post for it, but my (confirmed) UARS graphs from Respironics+Sleepyhead are here:
viewtopic/t98286/What-UARS-looks-like-f ... bipap.html

And no--my machine does not do a very good job of flagging any but the most obvious events (even on Auto), though it's certainly better than nothing. I review my waveform results myself and compare that to other objective/subjective data to determine whether or not my settings need to be adjusted. That's why I'm excited about the thread referencing new algorithms designed to detect events more common to women, even if it only comes in pink with rhinestone trim and a big carry case that says "FOR HER":

viewtopic/t98273/Redefining-Sleep-Apnea ... rithm.html

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Re: Am I crazy? Or is my CPAP not detecting UARS?

Post by Rustsmith » Tue Jun 03, 2014 11:37 am

Sleepy and mellabella, glad to see that someone is doing research on UARS. It has seemed that there hasn't been a lot done in the last few years. That probably has something to do with the insurance coverage issues leading to a chicken and egg condition.

As for the "For Her" approach, I like the fact that they are looking into the gender differences and that this may eventually lead to a UARS specific algorithm. However, the manufacturers need to remember that not all UARS patients are small females just as not all OSA patients are older males. I fit almost all of the UARS specific parameters described in the report in Sleepy's link except for the younger and female pararmeters. However, with that said, if my machine has to be pink in order to improve my treatment, so much the better. Besides, the only time that it is "on display" to anyone other than my wife is the rare times when TSA decides to open the case at the airport.

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Re: Am I crazy? Or is my CPAP not detecting UARS?

Post by nanwilson » Fri Nov 17, 2017 3:05 pm

xxyzx wrote:
sleepy1235 wrote:http://69.36.35.38/accp/pccsu/upper-air ... e?page=0,0

the above I think is the link for the article .
========

just an ad for a seminar on it

I double that anyone cares now, this thread is from 2014...
Started cpap in 2010.. still at it with great results.