title: A randomized, controlled trial of 1 week of continuous positive airway pressure treatment on quality of life.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  This study examines the effect of continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) treatment on quality of life (QOL)in patients with obstructive sleep apnea.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty-nine patients with sleep apnea were studied. Health-related quality of life was measured (HRQL) with the use of the Medical Outcomes Survey (MOS) instrument, before and after patients were randomized to receive either 1 week of CPAP or placebo-CPAP (CPAP administered at ineffective pressure).
  
  
  RESULTS
  CPAP was not found to have a specific effect on QOL as compared with placebo-CPAP. However, several aspects of HRQL improved in both groups over time in this study. Time effects were found in the following subscales of the MOS: satisfaction with physical functioning; effects of pain; pain severity; cognitive functioning; mental health index I; psychological well-being I; depression/behavioral-emotional control; anxiety I; psychological distress I; positive affect II; mental health index II; psychological distress II; anxiety II; psychological well-being II; mental health index III; role limitations due to emotional problems; and physical/physiologic functioning.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  CPAP treatment does appear to improve several aspects of HRQL. However, this improvement may reflect a nonspecific response (ie, placebo) because comparable improvements were observed in both the active treatment group and the placebo treatment group. Additional study with placebo-CPAP designs is warranted.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, USA.
authors.forename: Judi
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Profant
authors.forename: Sonia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ancoli-Israel
authors.forename: Joel E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Dimsdale
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011175:Positive-Pressure Respiration; D011788:Quality of Life; D020181:Sleep Apnea, Obstructive / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D016896:Treatment Outcome