Effect of Continuous Positive Airway Pressure Versus Supplemental Oxygen on Sleep Quality in Obstructive Sleep Apnea: A Placebo-CPAP−Controlled Study

<jats:title>Abstract</jats:title> <jats:sec> <jats:title>Study Objective:</jats:title> <jats:p>We investigated the short-term effectiveness of continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) and oxygen in improving sleep quality in patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA).</jats:p> </jats:sec> <jats:sec> <jats:title>Design:</jats:title> <jats:p>Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel study.</jats:p> </jats:sec> <jats:sec> <jats:title>Setting:</jats:title> <jats:p>General Clinical Research Center at a university hospital.</jats:p> </jats:sec> <jats:sec> <jats:title>Patients:</jats:title> <jats:p>Seventy-six patients with untreated OSA.</jats:p> </jats:sec> <jats:sec> <jats:title>Interventions:</jats:title> <jats:p>Patients were randomly assigned to 1 of 3 treatments (CPAP, placebo-CPAP, or nocturnal oxygen at 3 L per minute) for 2 weeks. Sleep quality was assessed at baseline and after 1 and 14 days of therapy. Repeated-measures analysis of variance was used to evaluate treatment and time effects, and their interaction.</jats:p> </jats:sec> <jats:sec> <jats:title>Measurements and Results:</jats:title> <jats:p>Sixty-three patients completed the protocol. When compared with placebo-CPAP and nocturnal oxygen, CPAP increased rapid eye movement (REM) sleep and significantly reduced stage 1 sleep and the number of stage shifts (p ≤ .003). CPAP improved, to within normal limits, the apnea-hypopnea index, total arousal index, and mean oxyhemoglobin saturation (p ≤ .001). The effects of CPAP were apparent during the first night of therapy. Oxygen improved only mean nocturnal saturation (p = .009). CPAP had no significant effect on stage 2 sleep or slow-wave sleep.</jats:p> </jats:sec> <jats:sec> <jats:title>Conclusions:</jats:title> <jats:p>CPAP was associated with an improvement in sleep quality in patients with OSA by consolidating sleep, reducing stage 1 sleep, and improving REM sleep. CPAP was effective in correcting the respiratory and arousal abnormalities of OSA. The effectiveness of supplemental oxygen was limited to oxyhemoglobin desaturation.</jats:p> </jats:sec> <jats:sec> <jats:title>Citation:</jats:title> <jats:p>Loredo JS; Ancoli-Israel S; Kim EJ et al. Effect of continuous positive airway pressure versus supplemental oxygen on sleep quality in obstructive sleep apnea: a placebo-CPAP-controlled study.</jats:p> </jats:sec>