The Relationship Between Sleepiness, Fatigue, Anxiety and Depression Levels and Polysomnographic Variables in Patients with Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome

Background: Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome (OSAS) is not just a limited entity, but is one of the modern age diseases, which is the cause and/or result of several diseases together. The clinical manifestation formed in patients by the interaction of sleepiness, fatigue, anxiety, and depression may cause the development of these diseases. This study aimed to enlighten more of the sleepiness, fatigue, anxiety, and depression with polysomnographic findings in OSAS.

Methods: The study included 95 patients diagnosed with OSAS according to ICSD-3, who presented at the Sleep Centre of Erenkoy Psychiatric and Neurological Diseases Training and Research Hospital. The study group were applied with the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview-Clinician Evaluation, the Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS), the Chalder Fatigue Scale (CFS), the Motivation And Energy Inventory-Short Form, the Hospital and Anxiety Depression Scale (HADS) and polysomnography.

Results: In the hierarchic multiple linear regression model, apnea/hypopnea index (AHI) was found to be independently related to CFS (p<0.01, ∆R2:0.03), the HADS depression scores were related to the mean oxygen saturation (MO2 S) (p:0.01, ∆R2:0.03). HADS anxiety scores were related to REM and N3 duration (p:0.02, ∆R2:0.03; p:0,01, ∆R2:0.04), and there was a relationship between ESS scores and oxygen desaturation index (ODI) (p<0.01, ∆R2:0.07), when adjusted for sex, age, BMI and other clinical variables.

Conclusions: The results showed relationships between clinical variables seen in OSAS and the objective sleep variables. Fatigue could be predicted with the polysomnographic variable of AHI and depression with MO2 S and, anxiety with REM and N3 duration, and sleepiness with ODI.

To cite this article: Uzer A, Gulec H. The Relationship Between Sleepiness, Fatigue, Anxiety and Depression Levels and Polysomnographic Variables in Patients with Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome. Psychiatry and Clinical Psychopharmacology 2020;30(2):152-158