Solmaz Fevzi, Ekim Buse, Şimşek Abdullah, Durgut Osman
Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Health Sciences University, Bursa City Hospital, Bursa, Turkey.
Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Health Sciences University, Bursa Training and Research Hospital, Bursa, Turkey.
J Sleep Res. 2023 Feb;32(1):e13715. doi: 10.1111/jsr.13715. Epub 2022 Aug 24.
There have been studies in the literature regarding the effect of obstructive sleep apnea syndrome on hearing function, but studies on the effect of obstructive sleep apnea syndrome on the peripheral vestibular system are limited. The aim of the present study was to determine whether obstructive sleep apnea syndrome causes functional neurological changes, particularly in the peripheral vestibular system, using the video head impulse test. Overall, 57 patients with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome were included; the 'Snorers' group comprised 20 volunteers diagnosed with simple snoring in the polysomnography test. The severity of apnea was assessed by monitoring cardiac and respiratory functions during sleep in both groups. The video head impulse test and audiological evaluations were performed in both groups. Statistically significant differences were found in the cochlea and semicircular canals of our patients in the video head impulse test and audiological battery tests. It may be assumed that decreased blood oxygen concentrations and chronic hypoxaemia have negative effects on the vestibule, cochlear sensory epithelium, and the auditory pathways. We think that inner ear structures and pathways may be affected due to hypoxia in obstructive sleep apnea syndrome. Therefore, screening patients with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome with an audiometry battery may help to detect inner ear pathologies early.
文献中已有关于阻塞性睡眠呼吸暂停综合征对听力功能影响的研究，但关于阻塞性睡眠呼吸暂停综合征对外周前庭系统影响的研究有限。本研究的目的是使用视频头脉冲试验确定阻塞性睡眠呼吸暂停综合征是否会引起功能性神经变化，特别是在外周前庭系统中。总体而言，纳入了57例阻塞性睡眠呼吸暂停综合征患者；“打鼾者”组包括20名在多导睡眠图测试中被诊断为单纯打鼾的志愿者。通过监测两组患者睡眠期间的心脏和呼吸功能来评估呼吸暂停的严重程度。两组均进行了视频头脉冲试验和听力学评估。在视频头脉冲试验和听力学综合测试中，我们的患者在耳蜗和半规管中发现了具有统计学意义的差异。可以假设，血氧浓度降低和慢性低氧血症对前庭、耳蜗感觉上皮和听觉通路有负面影响。我们认为，阻塞性睡眠呼吸暂停综合征中的缺氧可能会影响内耳结构和通路。因此，用听力学综合测试对阻塞性睡眠呼吸暂停综合征患者进行筛查可能有助于早期发现内耳病变。
