%0 Journal Article %A H. Nakano %A T. Tanigawa %A Y. Ohnishi %A H. Uemori %A K. Senzaki %A T. Furukawa %A S. Nishima %T Validation of a single-channel airflow monitor for screening of sleep-disordered breathing %D 2008 %R 10.1183/09031936.00130907 %J European Respiratory Journal %P 1060-1067 %V 32 %N 4 %X A simple screening method for sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) is desirable for primary care practices. In the present study, a simple monitor, which utilises a new type of flow sensor and a novel algorithm, was prospectively validated. Home recording for 2 nights with the monitor only, followed by in-laboratory recording with the monitor together with polysomnography, were carried out in consecutive patients (n = 100) suspected of SDB. A subjective sleep log was also recorded. The signal was analysed using power spectral analysis, which yielded the flow respiratory disturbance index (flow-RDI). There was no recording failure at home. The reproducibility of the flow-RDI between the 2 nights at home was high (intraclass correlation coefficient = 0.92). The sensitivity and specificity of the in-laboratory flow-RDI to diagnose SDB were 0.96 and 0.82, 0.91 and 0.82, and 0.89 and 0.96, for apnoea/hypopnoea index (AHI) ≥5, ≥15 and ≥30 events·h−1, respectively. The diagnostic ability in low-severity subgroups (female, normal weight, AHI <15 events·h−1) was almost comparable to that in the entire group. Excluding subjective waking time on the sleep log from the recording time had no significant effect on the flow-RDI. The single-channel monitor is considered feasible for ambulatory sleep disordered breathing monitoring because of its easy applicability, high reproducibility and relatively high agreement with polysomnography results. %U https://erj.ersjournals.com/content/erj/32/4/1060.full.pdf