title: Sleep-related breathing disorders in cerebrovascular stroke and transient ischemic attacks:  a comparative study.
abstract: Sleep-related breathing disorders are said to be common in patients with established cerebrovascular accidents. The aim of this study was to assess the frequency and characteristics of sleep-related breathing disorders in ischemic stroke and transient ischemic attacks. All patients were subjected to neurologic assessment, Berlin questionnaire (Arabic version), brain computed tomographic scan, and polysomnography along 6 to 8 hours overnight with special emphasis to apnea/hypopnea indices. All assessments were done for 30 patients who had stroke and transient ischemic attacks as well as 20 age- and sex-matched controls. Overall, 13.3% of patients had mild sleep apnea (apnea/hypopnea index, >5), 13.3% had moderate sleep apnea (apnea/hypopnea index, >15), and 34% had severe sleep apnea (apnea/hypopnea index, >30). The sensitivity and specificity of Berlin questionnaire for obstructive sleep apnea diagnosis were 55% and 100%, respectively, for mild sleep apnea, 56.3% and 85.7% for moderate sleep apnea, 66.7% and 83.3% for severe condition. Berlin questionnaire is a moderate sensitive but highly specific screening test for sleep apnea in cerebrovascular diseases. Those who scored high risk should consider polysomnography to specify the type and severity of apnea.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurophysiology, Cairo University, Egypt. elkholysaly@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Saly H
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: ElKholy
authors.forename: Hanan A
authors.initials: HA
authors.lastname: Amer
authors.forename: Mona M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Nada
authors.forename: Mona A F
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Nada
authors.forename: Amira
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Labib
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D002546:Ischemic Attack, Transient / Q000150:complications*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017286:Polysomnography; D012307:Risk Factors; D012891:Sleep Apnea Syndromes / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D020521:Stroke / Q000150:complications*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires