We’re pleased to share our latest research published in Dementia & Neuropsychologia:
“Screening for obstructive sleep apnea in the memory clinic: A comparison of questionnaires, pulse oximetry, and polysomnography”
📄 Read the full article here
Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is common in older adults and linked to cognitive decline and increased dementia risk. Yet, effective screening for OSA in memory clinic settings remains a challenge.
In this study, we compared two practical screening tools—the widely used STOP-Bang Questionnaire (SBQ) and overnight pulse oximetry—against gold-standard polysomnography (PSG) in adults over 50 attending a memory clinic.
Among 194 participants, we found that:
- The SBQ had limited accuracy in detecting moderate-to-severe and severe OSA.
- Oximetry, particularly with adjusted cut-off points (ODI-Ox ≥ 11 for moderate and ≥ 20 for severe OSA), performed considerably better, showing acceptable agreement with PSG.
🧪 Key takeaway: The SBQ may not be suitable for screening OSA in memory clinic populations, but oximetry shows promise as a quick, accessible alternative. Given the potential of OSA treatment to improve sleep and slow cognitive decline, these findings support the inclusion of OSA screening in routine memory clinic assessments.