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Sijana Demirovic,1,2 Linda Lusic Kalcina,1,2 Ivana Pavlinac Dodig,1,2 Renata Pecotic,1,2 Maja Valic,1,2 Natalija Ivkovic,2 Zoran Dogas1,2 1Department of Neuroscience, University of Split School of Medicine, Split, Croatia; 2Split Sleep Medicine Center, University Hospital Center Split, Split, CroatiaCorrespondence: Zoran DogasDepartment of Neuroscience, University of Split School of Medicine, Soltanska 2, Split, 21000, CroatiaTel + 385 21 557 858Fax + 385 21 557 955Email zoran.dogas@mefst.hrPurpose: Due to the possible interplay of factors predisposing to severe COVID-19 outcomes and negative health consequences of poorly controlled OSA, adherence to continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy among OSA patients might be crucial during COVID-19 pandemics. Lockdown-related changes in CPAP adherence were investigated in CPAP users willing to participate in this study. Pre-lockdown adherence, age, gender, comorbidities and anxiety were analyzed as predictors of COVID-19 lockdown adherence.Patients and Methods: A cross-sectional study performed at Split Sleep Medicine Center included 101 severe OSA patients (78.2% male). CPAP memory cards were assessed during 6 months of pre-lockdown and 40 days of lockdown (March/April 2020) period. A total of 81 patients in pre-lockdown met good CPAP adherence criteria (≥ 4 hours/night on 70% nights).Results: CPAP adherence improved during COVID-19 lockdown in the total sample of severe OSA patients. The percentage of adherent nights and CPAP usage hours per night increased during lockdown in good pre-lockdown CPAP adherers (p=0.011 and p=0.001, respectively), women (p=0.003 and p=0.001, respectively) and respondents younger than 58 years (p=0.007 and p< 0.001, respectively). Out of 20/101 poor pre-lockdown CPAP adherers, 9 have shifted to good lockdown adherence. When comorbidities, BMI and anxiety were taken into account, older and male respondents were recognized as less likely to improve CPAP usage hours during lockdown (R2=9.4%; p=0.032).Conclusion: The lockdown-related CPAP adherence improved in severe OSA patients, with a shift in almost half of poor pre-lockdown adherers towards good lockdown CPAP adherence. Women, younger and good pre-lockdown CPAP adherers were more adherent during lockdown. Despite being vulnerable groups for both OSA and COVID-19, no expected adherence improvements were observed in men and older patients.Keywords: OSA, CPAP, CPAP adherence, COVID-19, lockdown

Linda Lusic Kalcina, Ivana Pavlinac Dodig, Renata Pecotic, Maja Valic, Zoran Dogas Department of Neuroscience, Split Sleep Medicine Center, University of Split School of Medicine, Split, CroatiaCorrespondence: Zoran DogasDepartment of Neuroscience, Split Sleep Medicine Center, University of Split School of Medicine, Soltanska 2, Split 21000, CroatiaTel +38521557905Fax +38521557955Email zdogas@mefst.hrPurpose: Determinants of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) are hypoxemia and hypercapnia, as well as (micro) arousals from sleep, resulting in chronic sleep fragmentation, sleep deprivation, and excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS). All of the above-mentioned factors might contribute to psychomotor impairment seen in OSA patients. Additionally, this study aimed to assess the contribution of BMI, age, EDS assessed with Epworth sleepiness scale (ESS), and severity of OSA assessed with apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) to the reaction time on chronometric tests in OSA patients and controls. It is hypothesized that moderate and severe OSA have adverse effects on reaction time of perception to visual stimulus, of solving simple arithmetic operations, and of psychomotor limbs coordination assessed by chronometric psychodiagnostic test battery.Patients and Methods: This study was conducted on 206 male participants; 103 of them had moderate or severe OSA diagnosed by whole-night polysomnography/polygraphy. Control participants (N=103), matched to patients with OSA by age and BMI, had no reported OSA in their medical history, no increased risk for OSA, nor EDS. All participants were assessed with three chronometric psychodiagnostic tests, measuring the reaction time of perception to visual stimulus, of solving simple arithmetic operations, and of psychomotor limbs coordination.Results: Participants from the OSA group achieved impaired results compared to control participants in minimum single task solving time in speed of solving simple arithmetic operations (3± 0.9 and 2.6± 0.6, P< 0.001), and in minimum solving time of a single task in complex psychomotor limbs coordination (0.69± 0.2 and 0.61± 0.1, P=0.007). Regression analysis revealed no significant contribution of daytime sleepiness to the results achieved in each of the tests.Conclusion: It is concluded that severe OSA impaired speed of perception, convergent, and operative thinking. Moreover, it is suggested that EDS did not contribute to poor psychomotor outcome in patients with OSA in this study, when age was controlled for.Keywords: obstructive sleep apnea syndrome, overnight polysomnography, psychomotor performance, psychodiagnostic test, daytime sleepiness