Nocturnal oxygen therapy does not improve snorers' intelligence.

STUDY OBJECTIVE

To determine whether nasal oxygen therapy at 2 L/min would (1) reverse nocturnal hypoxemia and (2) improve neuropsychologic function in men who snore heavily.

DESIGN

To select heavy-snoring subjects for a treatment protocol, volunteers were screened for one night, breathing air the first half and oxygen the second half of the night. If nocturnal oxygen desaturation occurred in the first half and was improved in the second half of the night, the subject entered a two-month treatment program. In random order, either nocturnal air or nocturnal oxygen was administered for one month each at 2 L/min in a double-blind crossover design. Neuropsychologic testing was done before and after each month.

SETTING

Oxygen concentrators were modified to produce either greater than 96 percent oxygen or air at 2 L/min. Machines were delivered to the home of the subject and the machines were used each night, administering inspirate by nasal cannula.

PARTICIPANTS

Seventeen asymptomatic men who snored heavily and volunteered for minimal payment of $75.

INTERVENTIONS

Air was administered for one month, and oxygen was administered for one month.

MEASUREMENTS AND RESULTS

On the screening night, oxygen administration did not improve obstructive sleep apnea, but did improve oxygenation. After one month of oxygen therapy at night, there was no significant benefit to multiple measures of neuropsychologic function.

CONCLUSION

In this study, oxygen therapy at night had no effect on neuropsychologic function in men who snore heavily.