Objective: To evaluate the feasibility of pulse transit time (PTT) arousals as an index of sleep fragmentation in patients with obstructive sleep apnea hypopnea syndrome (OSAHS).
Methods: Individuals referred for evaluation of possible OSAHS underwent overnight polysomnography (PSG). Three conventional indices of sleep fragmentation [electroencephalography (EEG) arousals, apnea/hypopnea index (AHI) , oxygen desaturation index (ODI)] , PTT arousals, and Epworth sleepiness scale (ESS) were compared.
Results: PTT arousals were positively correlated with EEG arousals (r = 0.746, P < 0.001), AHI (r = 0.786, P < 0.001), and ODI (r = 0.665, P < 0.001) , respectively. But, both PTT arousals and EEG arousals had no correlation with ESS (r = 0.432, P = 0.201; r = 0.196, P = 0.591, respectively).
Conclusion: PTT arousals are correlated well with other standard measures estimating severity of OSAHS and potentially a non-invasive marker with which to measure the sleep fragmentation in patients with OSAHS.