Department of Otorhinolaryngology, University of Regensburg, 93042, Regensburg, Germany.
Department of Otorhinolaryngology, University Medical Center Munich, Klinikum Großhadern, Marchioninistr. 15, 81377, Munich, Germany.
Eur Arch Otorhinolaryngol. 2020 Apr;277(4):1227-1233. doi: 10.1007/s00405-020-05813-2. Epub 2020 Feb 3.
It is not easy to assess how severe and annoying a patient's snoring is. Solid parameters are lacking; snorers cannot deliver a reliable self-assessment and it is uncertain whether bed partners' statements can be relied upon. The purpose of the present study was therefore to investigate whether and how well snoring assessment based on acoustic parameters and bed partners' reporting agree.
In a double-blind, placebo-controlled study on snoring treatment, several acoustic parameters [snoring index (SI), percentage snoring time (ST), sound pressure level, sound energy, loudness, psychoacoustic annoyance and psychoacoustic snore score (PSS)] were measured in 18 subjects during 24 polysomnographies. Bed partners also assessed snoring annoyance and loudness as well as treatment outcome.
No correlation was found between the subjective annoyance caused by snoring and the acoustic parameters. Regarding perceived loudness, there was a moderate, significant correlation with loudness (N) and PSS over the hour with the highest SI. SI, ST, LAeq and maximum sound pressure level dB(A) showed no significant correlation. After the intervention only mean sound energy LAeq over the entire night showed a significant correlation (r = 0.782; p = 0.022) with bed partners' assessments. However, this result was not confirmed in the second control night.
The non-existent or only weak correlation between bed partners' ratings and objective parameters indicate that snoring severity should be evaluated with caution. Neither acoustic parameters, at least for one measurement over just one night, nor bed partners' ratings should be used as the sole basis for snoring assessment.
评估患者打鼾的严重程度和令人烦恼程度并不容易。目前缺乏可靠的参数；打鼾者无法进行可靠的自我评估，并且不确定伴侣的陈述是否可信。因此，本研究的目的是调查基于声学参数和伴侣报告的打鼾评估是否以及如何一致。
在一项针对打鼾治疗的双盲、安慰剂对照研究中，在 18 名受试者的 24 次多导睡眠图中测量了几个声学参数[打鼾指数（SI）、打鼾时间百分比（ST）、声压级、声能、响度、听觉烦扰和听觉打鼾评分（PSS）]。伴侣还评估了打鼾的烦扰程度和响度以及治疗效果。
打鼾引起的主观烦扰与声学参数之间没有相关性。关于感知到的响度，与响度（N）和整个小时的 PSS 有中度显著相关性，SI 最高。SI、ST、LAeq 和最大声压级 dB（A）均无显著相关性。干预后，仅整个夜间的平均声能 LAeq 与伴侣的评估有显著相关性（r=0.782；p=0.022）。然而，这一结果在第二个对照夜间并未得到证实。
伴侣评分与客观参数之间不存在或仅有微弱的相关性表明，应谨慎评估打鼾的严重程度。声学参数（至少在一夜之间进行一次测量）和伴侣的评分都不应该作为打鼾评估的唯一依据。
