| dc.description.abstract | Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), a condition characterized by repeated episodes where the upper airway collapses during sleep. This collapse interrupts normal breathing and is associated with significant health risks, including heart and brain-related issues. The typical method for diagnosing OSA is polysomnography , which effectively identifies sleep disruptions but doesn′t pinpoint where or how the airway collapses. While continuous positive airway pressure therapy for OSA involves using a device that delivers positive pressure to keep the airway open during sleep, many patients find this uncomfortable and do not consistently use it. This noncompliance often leads patients to consider surgical alternatives, which necessitates precise identification of the exact locations of airway collapse to tailor the surgical approach. Traditional imaging techniques performed while the patient is awake or using static images are not very effective because they fail to capture the airway′s behavior during sleep, when OSA actually occurs. As a result, sleep MRI, performed without sedating the patient, emerges as a superior method. It allows researchers to observe the airway dynamically as it behaves naturally during sleep, providing valuable insights into where and how the airway collapses. This study involved analyzing 15 male subjects with severe OSA, who had an average Apnea-Hypopnea Index (AHI) of 70.3 events per hour, and comparing them to 15 males with mild OSA, who had an average AHI of 7.8 events per hour. Both groups were matched by age and body mass index . We used MRI to measure static craniofacial structures and observe the dynamic airway collapse in the retropalatal (RP), retroglossal (RG), and lateral pharyngeal wall (LPW) areas, in various views (axial, sagittal, and coronal). These measurements were then correlated with OSA severity using AHI, and statistical significance was set at P < 0.01. The study′s findings demonstrated that collapse at the lateral pharyngeal wall (b = 51.8, P < 0.001) and the length of the upper airway (b = 27.2, P < 0.001) were significantly associated with severity of OSA. These results suggest that specific features observed through sleep MRI, like the extent of lateral pharyngeal wall collapse and the length of the upper airway, could be crucial markers for assessing the severity of OSA. Incorporating these MRI findings into routine clinical evaluations could help refine the approach to treatment, particularly surgical interventions, leading to more customized and effective care for patients with OSA. The study underscores the importance of understanding both the anatomical and dynamic aspects of the upper airway in managing OSA severity. | en_US |