Evolution of daytime sleepiness and affective symptoms in patients with obstructive sleep apnea treated with Continuous Positive Airway Pressure

Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) is the treatment of choice for OSA. Objectives: To analyze and correlate the subjective symptoms of daytime sleepiness, depression, and anxiety before and after CPAP treatment. A retrospective, observational, longitudinal study was conducted. Data were extracted from questionnaires completed three times. The first questionnaire was submitted at the time of a nocturnal PSG with diagnostic oximetry. The second and third were administered during the nocturnal PSG with oximetry and titration with Auto-CPAP. The Epworth Sleepiness Scale, the Self-Report Anxiety Scale, and Beck Depression Inventory were used. Results: We found a significant decrease in the Epworth Sleepiness Scale over the years, but we found no differences in the scale for anxiety (p=0.45) and none for depression (p=0.52). Conclusion: The analysis of mood trauma and daytime sleepiness in patients using CPAP demonstrated that daytime sleepiness is reduced with the use of the device, but this was not the case with markers of mood trauma. Physicians should be aware of our discomfort to understand the magnitude of the benefit they can obtain from CPAP therapy on sleepiness and to inform decision-making in medical care.