Portable monitoring in sleep apnea

Abstract

Portable sleep apnea monitoring or home testing for sleep-disordered breathing focuses on recent developments of these powerful diagnostic tools. Evidence-based reviews and innovative single studies with specific systems are considered. Systems become less intrusive and self applicable. Electrocardiogram-derived respiration, photoplethysmogram analysis, midsagittal jaw movements, and respiratory sound analysis are reviewed. Categories of systems with 4 to 6 channels and 1 to 3 channels are introduced and presented. The importance of a high pretest probability is elucidated. Open research questions regarding these systems are mentioned. Technological issues are not most important in this debate. The health economic aspects in using portable sleep apnea monitoring have to be considered as well. Portable monitoring of sleep apnea is probably less expensive than cardiorespiratory polysomnography and can help to overcome the limited availability of sleep lab-based diagnostic places. But by increasing the quantity of investigations it may cause additional costs too.