Clinical significance of SNAP somnography test acoustic recording

Objective: To examine the clinical significance of acoustic data recorded by the SNAP home polysomnography system (SNAP Laboratories, Glenview, IL). Study design and setting: Retrospective analysis of SNAP data from 59 patients undergoing evaluation for sleep apnea at the University of Nebraska Medical Center and an associated private practice in Omaha, NE. Results: Snoring did not correlate with anthropometric variables such as body mass index and neck circumference. Statistical analysis showed no correlation between respiratory disturbance index and the maximum or average loudness of snoring. Average loudness was predictive of the presence of sleep apnea. Spectral analysis of snoring sonography found that the proportion of snoring events associated with a palatal source correlated strongly with the loudness of snoring. Conclusion: These data suggest that analysis of snoring has limited utility in the evaluation of the patient with sleep apnea but may be able to select patients who would benefit from palatal procedures to reduce snoring.