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Performance vigilance task and sleepiness in patients with sleep-disordered breathing

¹ Sleep Laboratory, Dept of Psychiatry, and ² Division of Pneumonology, Geneva University Hospital, Geneva, Switzerland

CORRESPONDENCE: E. Sforza, Laboratoire de Sommeil, Dept de Psychiatrie, Hôpitaux Universitaires de Genêve, 2 Chemin du Petit Bel Air, CH 1225, Chêne Bourg, Genève, Switzerland. Fax: 41 223055343. E-mail: Emilia.Sforza@hcuge.ch

Keywords: Hypoxaemia, performance, sleep fragmentation, sleep-related breathing disorders, sleepiness

Received: August 11, 2003
Accepted February 29, 2004

Altered vigilance performance has been documented in patients with sleep-related breathing disorders (SRBDs). Sleep fragmentation, sleepiness, respiratory disturbances and nocturnal hypoxaemia have been suggested as the pathogenesis of these deficits, yet it remains difficult to find a good correlation between performance deficits and the above factors. In the present study, which performance measure better characterised SRBD patients and the main factors implicated in these disturbances were examined.

The study group consisted of 152 patients and 45 controls, all examined using a performance vigilance task and subjective sleepiness assessment. Speed and accuracy in the psychomotor vigilance task (PVT) were measured in patients and controls. Objective daytime sleepiness was assessed in the patient group using the maintenance of wakefulness test.

In comparison with controls, PVT accuracy rather than speed seems to be affected in SRBD patients, with lapses and false responses significantly greater in patients with more severe objective sleepiness and higher apnoea/hypopnoea index. Although slowing and increased variability in reaction time were associated with shorter sleep latency in the maintenance of wakefulness test, subjective sleepiness, sleep fragmentation, nocturnal hypoxaemia and apnoea/hypopnoea index influenced mainly PVT accuracy.

It is concluded that vigilance impairment, sleep fragmentation and severity of disease may partially and differentially contribute to the diurnal performance consequences found in sleep-related breathing disorders. Since the psychomotor vigilance task worsening is more marked in accuracy that in speed, measurement of lapses and false responses would better characterise the degree of diurnal impairment in these patients.

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