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Screening of snoring with an MP3 recorder

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Abstract

Purpose

Snoring patients seeking medical assistance represent a wide range of clinical and sleep study findings from nonsleepy nonapneic snoring to severe obstructive sleep apnea syndrome. The prevalence of snoring is high and it significantly impacts quality of life. Its objective diagnosis usually requires a sleep study. We developed a system to analyze snoring sounds with a Moving Picture Experts Group Layer-3 Audio (MP3) recorder device and present its value in the screening of snoring.

Methods

We recorded snoring sounds during in-lab polysomnography (PSG) in 200 consecutive patients referred for a suspicion of obstructive sleep apnea. Snoring was recorded during the PSG with two microphones: one attached to the throat and the other to the ceiling; an MP3 device was attached to the patient’s collar. Snoring was confirmed when the MP3 acoustic signal exceeded twice the median value of the acoustic signal for the entire recording. Results of the MP3 snoring recording were compared to the snoring recordings from the PSG.

Results

MP3 recording proved technically successful for 87% of the patients. The Pearson correlation between PSG snoring and MP3 snoring was highly significant at 0.77 (p < 0.001). The MP3 recording device underestimated the snoring time by a mean ± SD of 32 ± 55 min.

Conclusions

The recording of snoring with an MP3 device provides reliable information about the patient’s snoring.

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Abbreviations

AHI:

Apnea and hypopnea index

AUC:

Area under the curve

AUDIT:

Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test

BMI:

Body mass index

DEPS:

Depression Scale

ESS:

Epworth Sleepiness Scale

MP3:

Moving Picture Experts Group Layer-3 Audio

OSA:

Obstructive sleep apnea

PSG:

Polysomnography

ROC:

Receiver-operating curve

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Acknowledgments

This study has benefited from the financial support of the following non-profit organizations in Finland: the Research Foundation for Respiratory Diseases, the Finnish Anti-Tuberculosis Association Foundation, the Väinö and Laina Kivi Foundation, Jalmari and Rauha Ahokas Foundation, Sleep Research Society of Finland, and the University of Helsinki Funds.

Conflict of interest

Tapani Salmi has been a medical adviser and consultant for SmartValley Software Oy and owns shares of the company. Hanna-Riikka Kreivi, Paula Maasilta, and Adel Bachour declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Sleep Unit, Division of Pulmonary Medicine, Department of Medicine, Helsinki University Central Hospital, Haartmaninkatu 4, PO Box 372, 00029 HUS, Helsinki, Finland

    Hanna-Riikka Kreivi, Paula Maasilta & Adel Bachour

  2. Department of Clinical Neurophysiology, Helsinki University Central Hospital, Haartmaninkatu 4, 00029 HUS, Helsinki, Finland

    Tapani Salmi

Authors
  1. Hanna-Riikka Kreivi
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  2. Tapani Salmi
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  3. Paula Maasilta
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  4. Adel Bachour
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Correspondence to Hanna-Riikka Kreivi.

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Kreivi, HR., Salmi, T., Maasilta, P. et al. Screening of snoring with an MP3 recorder. Sleep Breath 17, 77–84 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11325-012-0652-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11325-012-0652-z

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