The face of sleepiness: improvement in appearance after treatment of sleep apnea.

ABSTRACT:

Study objectives

Anecdote but no formal evidence suggests that facial appearance improves after hypersomnolent patients with obstructive sleep apnea are treated. We investigated whether masked volunteer raters can identify post- rather than pre-treatment images as looking more alert, and whether impressions are predicted by any objective changes on highly precise 3-dimensional digital photogrammetry.

Methods

Participants included 20 adults with obstructive sleep apnea on polysomnography and excessive sleepiness on Epworth Sleepiness Scales. Photogrammetry was performed before and after ≥ 2 months of adherent use of positive airway pressure. Twenty-two raters then assessed pre- and post-treatment facial images, paired side-by-side in random order.

Results

Subjects incl

SUBMITTER: Chervin RD 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3746710 | biostudies-literature | 2013 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature