ArticleSleep & breathing = Schlaf & Atmung2025
Opportunistic pharyngeal length measurement on routine brain MRI: A novel screening tool for severe obstructive sleep apnea in acute stroke.
Article in Sleep & breathing = Schlaf & Atmung, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
0 citing papers in PubMed.
No citing paper in PubMed yet.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
6 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundObstructive sleep apnea (OSA) affects two-thirds of acute ischemic stroke (AIS) patients and is linked to poor neurological recovery and recurrent stroke. Current OSA screening tools (e.g., STOP-BANG) are limited by subjectivity and impracticality in acute stroke settings. We evaluated the predictive value of upper airway dimensions measured on routine brain MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) - a novel, objective strategy - for screening severe OSA in AIS patients.
methodsIn this prospective single-center study (April-October 2024), 103 adults with AIS underwent routine brain MRI. Retropalatal and combined retropalatal-retroglossal pharyngeal length (CRR) were measured on sagittal T1-weighted sequences. OSA severity was confirmed via cardiorespiratory polygraphy. The diagnostic accuracy of these MRI-derived measurements for screening severe OSA was compared to the STOP-BANG questionnaire.
resultsParticipants (mean age 59.6 ± 11.2 years; 71.8% male) had mild-moderate stroke severity (median NIHSS 3 [IQR 2-4]) and mean BMI 24.1 ± 3.1 kg/m². CRR was significantly longer in severe OSA versus non-severe OSA (66.6 ± 8.9 mm vs. 62.5 ± 8.1 mm, p = 0.048). CRR demonstrated superior discriminative accuracy for severe OSA (AUC = 0.70, 95% CI: 0.61-0.78) compared to STOP-BANG ≥ 3 (AUC = 0.57, 95% CI: 0.48-0.65). Using cutoff ≥62 mm, CRR achieved 91% sensitivity and 49% specificity, outperforming STOP-BANG ≥ 3 (sensitivity = 90%, specificity = 24%).
conclusionsOpportunistic measurement of CRR on routine brain MRI is a rapid, non-invasive screening tool for severe OSA in AIS, leveraging existing neuroimaging data without added costs or patient burden. It's high sensitivity minimizes missed diagnoses, addressing a critical gap in acute stroke care.
Indexed as
Identifiers
41182467What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.