Sleep laboratories reopening and COVID-19 : a European perspective
The clinical activities regarding sleep disordered breathing (SDB) have been sharply interrupted during the initial phase of the COVID-19 epidemic throughout Europe. In the last months, activities have gradually restarted, according to epidemiological phase of COVID-19 and National recommendations. The recent increase in cases throughout Europe obliges to reconsider management strategies of SDB accordingly. Diagnosis of SDB and initiation of treatment pose some specific problems to be addressed to preserve safety of the patients and health personnel. This perspective document by a group of European sleep experts aims at summarising some different approaches followed in Europe and United Sta…
Information Transfer Between Respiration and Heart Rate During Sleep Apnea
It is well-known that sleep apnea affects the respiration and the heart rate (HR), and studies have shown that the cardiorespiratory coupling is also compromised during obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Furthermore, the classification of hypopneas is challenging, in particular when only ECG-derived features are used. In this context, this study investigates how different ECG-derived respiratory (EDR) signals resemble the respiratory effort during different types of apneas, and how the amount of information transferred from respiration to HR varies according to the respiratory signal used, real or ECG-derived. ECG and respiratory signals of 10 patients suffering from sleep apnea were analysed, …