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Abstract Trial design This study is a pilot randomized clinical trial aimed to investigate the effect of using Hip Exoskeleton Assistive (HEXA) robot compared to conventional physiotherapy on the quality of walking, disability, and quality of life of stroke patients with hemiplegia. Methods In this study, 24 patients were randomly assigned to the intervention group (robotic physiotherapy with HEXA robot), or control group (conventional physiotherapy). In each session, both groups received 30 min of conventional physiotherapy including electrotherapy and conventional exercises, and then the intervention group did gait training for 30 min with the HEXA robot and the control group for 30 min without the HEXA robot. The treatment program was 12 sessions, 3 times a week. Before the 1st and after the 12th sessions, both groups were evaluated for walking quality, disability, and quality of life. Results The results showed that the main effect of time was significant (P

Background and Objective: Periodic limb movements of sleep (PLMS) and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) are two common sleep disorders that frequently co-occur in one subject. In this study, we evaluated the polysomnographic (PSG) features of patients with OSA with and without PLMS. Materials and Methods: Patients with OSA diagnosed by PSG who referred to our sleep clinic over 2 years were studied for PLMS during a standard diagnostic sleep study. PSG features including apnea-hypopnea index (AHI), oxygen desaturation index (ODI), and sleep quality were evaluated and compared between patients with OSA with and without PLMS. Results: We evaluated 122 patients with OSA, of whom 17 had comorbid PLMS. Mean sleep quality was significantly lower in patients with PLMS compared to those without PLMS (P < 0.05). There was no significant difference in terms of mean age, gender, arousal index (AI), ODI, and apnea/hypopnea between the two groups. Conclusion: Patients with OSA with PLMS comorbidity have remarkably lower sleep quality and this finding is independent of the severity of arousals or respiratory events. Proper evaluation, diagnosis, and treatment of PLMS comorbidity in patients with OSA might improve treatment response.

BACKGROUND: Restless legs syndrome (RLS) has been associated with a variety of diseases, including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), which can worsen the symptoms of underlying disease and correlates with co-morbidities. We aimed to investigate RLS in patients with chemical warfare-induced lung diseases. METHODS: This cross-sectional study recruited patients with sulfur mustard (SM) lung injury, their healthy family members, and patients with COPD from August 2018 to August 2019. COPD was confirmed by medical history, physical examination, and spirometry according to GOLD COPD guidelines. RLS diagnosis was recognized by the International Restless Legs Syndrome Study Group (IRLSSG) and severity was assessed using the International Restless Legs Scale (IRLS) rating scale. Other research measures were COPD Assessment Test (CAT), modified Medical Research Council (mMRC) scale for dyspnoea severity, and Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS) for daytime somnolence. Laboratory values included hemoglobin, ferritin, creatinine, and fibrinogen. RESULTS: This study was conducted on 143 men in three groups: 40 (30.0%) SM-exposed veterans, 73 (55.3%) patients with COPD, and 30 (20.9%) healthy cases. Due to the high prevalence of COPD and better comparison with the control group, more patients with COPD were selected. 20 cases (50%) of the veterans group had RLS, while 25 (32.9%) cases of COPD were affected by this disorder. One normal case (3.33%) suffered from RLS. The chemical veterans who suffered from cough, sputum production, chest pain, and hemoptysis had a higher incidence in proportion to patients with COPD (P < 0.001). The CAT score was significantly higher in SM-exposed veterans with RLS (P = 0.004). CONCLUSION: RLS is more common in SM lung injuries with higher CAT scores; therefore, evaluation and treatment of RLS are recommended in mustard lung victims.

Introduction: Vitamin D may affect the modulation of signaling pathways in the central nervous system. We aimed to evaluate the effect of high-dose vitamin D supplementation on neuropsychological functions in female adolescents. Methods: We studied the effects of 9 weeks of vitamin D supplementation (50000 IU vitamin D3 [cholecalciferol]/week) on cognitive abilities and sleep disorders in 940 adolescent girls. Results: Oral vitamin D supplementation improved cognitive abilities, including memory, inhibitory control, selective attention, decision making, planning, sustained attention, and cognitive flexibility in healthy adolescent girls (P

Recent studies have revealed a growing number of patients affected by opioid use disorders (OUDs).Comorbid disorders are suspected to increase the risk of opioid-related adverse effects or treatment failure.The correlation of opioid use with sleep disturbances has been reported in many different studies andsuggested to be linked to the brain regions involved in reward processing. This narrative review was intendedto discuss the most recent developments in our understanding of the intricate interaction between sleepdisturbance and OUD. In addition, in this study, the effects of sleep problems on the occurrence ofunpleasant consequences in addiction management, such as craving and relapse in OCD patients, werehighlighted. It has been shown that drug use may trigger the induction of sleep disturbances, and thosesuffering from difficulties in sleeping are prone to relapse to drug use, including opioids. Moreover,pharmaceutical sleep aids are likely to interfere with opiate use.

Background: Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) is the gold standard therapy for treating obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) disorder. However, patients’ adherence to its regular use is poor. The present study aimed to determine the adherence rate to CPAP therapy by identifying factors affecting its regular use and its associated problems and discomforts among a sample population in Mashhad (Iran). Methods: The study was conducted from October 2017 to March 2018 in Mashhad (Iran) using both quantitative and qualitative methods. The quantitative study was carried out using a retrospective cross-sectional data collection from five sleep clinics and one CPAP sales office. The patients were classified into an adherent and a non-adherent group to determine the factors affecting CPAP adherence. Quantitative data were analyzed using SPSS software (version 22.0). Additionally, a prospective qualitative study was performed through a series of telephone interviews using the content analysis method. Qualitative data were analyzed using MAXQDA 10 software.Results: In the quantitative study, the medical records of 159 patients were used, out of which 79 (49.6%) were non-adherent to CPAP therapy. The mean age of all patients was 56.9±9.8 years. The mean body mass index, apnea-hypopnea index, and Epworth sleepiness scale (ESS) scores were 30.9±6.6 kg/m2, 37.2±28.1 events/hour, and 10.4±5.5, respectively. At baseline, the adherent group had a significantly higher age (P=0.006), higher oxygen desaturation index (P=0.006), and lower ESS (P=0.023) compared to the non-adherent group. In the qualitative study, a total of 29 telephone interviews were held with patients from the non-adherent group (8 women and 21 men). Analysis of the interviews resulted in three main categories (level of knowledge, discomfort, and costs) and nine sub-categories. Conclusion: A high percentage of OSA patients had poor adherence to CPAP therapy. Device-related issues could be adequately resolved by providing complementary information during follow-up visits. Moreover, efforts to reduce costs through comprehensive insurance coverage or with government subsidy would improve patients’ adherence to CPAP therapy.

Background: There is controversial evidence about the effect of cerebellar low-frequency stimulation in patients with essential tremor (ET). Objectives: In this study we assessed safety and effectiveness of 1 Hz (low-frequency) cerebellar repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) on tremor severity in patients with essential tremor in a sham-controlled crossover trial. Methods: A total of 23 patients assigned into two groups to receive either sham (n = 10) or rTMS (n = 13) treatment, with crossing over after a two-month washout period. Intervention consisted of 900 pulses of 1 Hz rTMS at 90% resting motor threshold or the same protocol of sham stimulation over each cerebellar hemisphere for 5 consecutive days. Tremor severity was assessed by Fahn-Tolosa-Marin (FTM) scale at baseline and at days 5, 12 and 30 after intervention. The FTM consists of 3 subscales including tremor severity rating, performance of motor tasks, and functional disability. Carry-over and treatment effects were analyzed using independent samples t-test. Results: There was no significant improvement in the total FTM scores in rTMS compared to the sham stimulation on day 5 (p = 0.132), day 12 (p = 0.574), or day 30 (p = 0.382). Similarly, FTM subscales, including tremor severity rating, motor tasks, and functional disability did not improve significantly after rTMS treatment. Mild headache and local pain were the most frequent adverse events. Conclusion: Although cerebellar rTMS seems to have acceptable safety when used in ET patients, this study could not prove any efficacy for it in reduction of tremor in these patients. Larger studies are needed to evaluate efficacy of this therapeutic intervention and to provide evidence about the optimal stimulation parameters.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) as a global concern involves infections in multiple organs. Much of the research up to now has been descriptive on neurological manifestations followed by SARS-CoV-2 infection. Despite considerable efforts on effective SARS-CoV-2 vaccine, novel therapeutic options for COVID-19 comorbidities are warranted. One of the fast ways to introduce possible effective drugs for clinical trials is bioinformatics methods. We have conducted a comprehensive enrichment analysis of genes involved in SARS-CoV-2 and neurological disorders associated with COVID-19. For this purpose, gene sets were extracted from the GeneWeaver database. To find out some significant enriched findings for common genes between SARS-CoV-2 and its neurological disorders, several practical databases were used. Finally, to repurpose an efficient drug, DrugBank databases were used. Overall, we detected 139 common genes concerning SARS-CoV-2 and their neurological disorders. Interestingly, our study predicted around 6 existing drugs (ie, carvedilol, andrographolide, 2-methoxyestradiol, etanercept, polaprezinc, and arsenic trioxide) that can be used for repurposing. We found that polaprezinc (zinc l -carnosine) drug is not investigated in the context of COVID-19 till now and it could be used for the treatment of COVID-19 and its neurological manifestations. To summarize, enrichment and network data get us a coherent picture to predict drug repurposing to speed up clinical trials.

An appropriate diagnosis and effective treatment of sleep apnea can improve the associated quality of care and reduce morbidities. The study aims to develop and evaluate an educational intervention tailored to patients' needs in order to increase the rate of patients' adherence to physician's prescription for a sleep test. A multi-center, stratified, 2 parallel-arm, randomized controlled trial was conducted. The patients in the intervention group received the educational booklets on sleep apnea and sleep test which was designed based on the extracted factors through an in-depth interview with patients. All participants were contacted after two months to ask whether they completed an assessment for OSA. A total number of 1,650 individuals were screened. Finally, 104 participants were randomized to the control group (n = 50) or intervention group (n = 45) that did not differ significantly in baseline characteristics. The results of the intention to treat analysis indicate that patients in the intervention group were significantly more adherent to attend a sleep assessment for their OSA risk (30%; n = 15/50) than the patients in the control group (11.1%; n = 5/45, P

Abstinence-based treatment of opioid use disorder has always been faced with the probability of an increase in craving, which potentially results in relapse. Moreover, sleep problems are predominant among patients with abstinence treatment. A sample of twenty-six male subjects with opioid use disorder were selected from a residential treatment center for substance use disorders in 2017 in Mashhad, Iran. Opioid craving was evaluated using obsessive-compulsive drug use scale (OCDUS) at four-time points (days 1, 10, 20, and 30) during abstinence. Also, they were asked to report their total sleep time. The participants with an average age of 32.5 ± 8.0 years reported the use of opium and heroin to be as high as 2.0 ± 1.2 g per day and 1.5 ± 0.9 g per day, respectively. Abstinence induced a non-significant gradual decrease in self-reported craving during one month (p > 0.05). Also, they experienced significant declines in total sleep time over the first ten days (p = 0.008). The univariate analysis of variance showed no significant changes in craving after adjustment for total sleep time (p > 0.05). Insignificant reductions in opioid craving after detoxification persisted throughout the 30 days of abstinence.

Introduction: Stroke is the most common debilitating neurological disease in adults. Therefore, rehabilitation is a major consideration to reduce costs and relief disabilities. Biofeedback, a newly recommended method is claimed to be able to improve the consequences following stroke by enhancing the understanding of the psychological functions of the body. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of biofeedback on the motor– muscular situation in balance and ability to walk, muscle stiffness (spasticity), hand muscles strength of stroke patients. Methods: The present study was a randomized clinical trial done in 2016. The participants were randomly divided into 2 groups (case and control group). In the intervention group, biofeedback was performed. The check list of main variables, including balance and ability to walk, muscle stiffness (spasticity) and hand muscles strength was completed by a physician before the intervention and at the end of the intervention (16th session). The statistical analysis was conducted, using SPSS version 13. Results: The mean score of balance in intervention group versus control group showed significant differences. The results showed that by eliminating the effects of muscular strength before the intervention, this variable had made improvements and significant differences in both intervention and control groups after the intervention. Comparison of the average spasticity showed that spasticity evaluation score before and after the intervention revealed no significant difference between the two groups. Conclusion: Biofeedback therapy is a promising treatment modality for improving the motor–muscular situation of patients after stroke.

Restless legs syndrome (RLS) is a common chronic sensory motor disorder that prevents initiation and/or sleep staying. Patients with this syndrome have uncomfortable sensations in their legs (and sometimes arms or other parts of the body), with moving their legs to relieve this sensations. The symptoms of RLS are usually worse in the evening and at night. The diagnosis of RLS is primarily based on clinical evaluation and clinical history of the patient. International restless leg syndrome group study (IRLSSG) evaluates the symptoms and severity of RLS. RLS can be divided into two groups of primary and secondary. Iron deficiency, Parkinson’s disease, kidney failure, diabetes, peripheral neuropathy, and pregnancy may cause RLS. Antinausea, antipsychotic drugs, some antidepressants, and antihistamines may also worsen the symptoms. RLS is also observed in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), which makes the outcomes worse. COPD is a main preventable health problem that can lead to morbidity and mortality. Thus, RLS in COPD causes excessive daytime hypersomnolence, fatigue, poor quality of life, disability and neuropsychological complications such as social isolation, frequent daytime headaches, anxiety and depression.

Pompe disease, also termed glycogen storage disease type II or acid maltase deficiency, caused by deficient activity of acid alpha-glucosidase (GAA), the glycogen degrading lysosomal enzyme. As a result, massive lysosomal glycogen deposits in the numerous organs including the muscles. In Pompe disease weakness of truncal muscles is a prominent presentation which results in respiratory failure as a main clinical presentation in the early stages of the disease. Even sleep may be affected by nocturnal respiratory disturbances. Specific treatment with enzyme replacement (human recombinant GAA) is available. Here we present a case of progressive muscular weakness which had been misdiagnosed with limb girdle muscular dystrophy. A history of severe morning headaches led authors to think about sleep apnea, which was confirmed by polysomnography and therefore provided a clue for appropriate diagnosis of Pompe disease. As a conclusion, Morning headaches and sleep insufficiency in any stage of a progressive muscular disorder can lead us to think about respiratory muscle involvement, which is more prominent in Pompe disease.

Interesting phenomena of reflex epileptic syndromes are characterized by epileptic seizures each one induced by specific stimulus with a variety of types. Simple triggers, which lead to seizures within seconds, are of sensory type (most commonly visual, most rarely tactile or proprioceptive stimuli). Complex triggers, which are mostly of cognitive type such as praxis, reading, talking, and music, usually induce the epileptic event within minutes. It should differ from what most epileptic patients report as provocative precipitants for seizures (such as emotional stress, fatigue, fever, sleep deprivation, alcohol, and menstrual cycle). The identification of a specific trigger is not only important for patients or their parents to avoid seizures, but also it might help neurologists to choose the most effective antiepileptic drug for each case. In addition, research in this area may possibly reveal some underlying pathophysiology of epileptic phenomena in the brain.In this review, we briefly introduce reported reflex epileptic seizures, their clinical features and management.

Background: Multiple sclerosis (MS) is known to affect essentially the central nervous system; however, peripheral nerve involvement, as an additional cause of disability, has been recently noticed. Objectives: This study was aimed to perform detailed electrodiagnostic assessments in MS patients to evaluate peripheral nervous system involvement. Materials and Methods: A total of eighty MS patients were evaluated for probable peripheral nerves involvement in a cross sectional study from August 2012 to August 2013.Patients with evidence of radiculopathy, diabetes, uremia, and anemia or cobalamin deficiency had been excluded. Clinical disability was ascertained by applying Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) score. All electrodiagnostic assessment was performed by a single expert operator. Demographic parameters and paraclinical findings including MRI plaques were recorded. The data were analyzed in SPSS version 19applying the paired t-test and Mann-Whitney U test. Results: The sural nerves showed the most consistent finding of abnormal conduction velocity (30%). The most frequent amplitude disturbance was observed in the peroneal nerves (10%). We did not find a significant association between abnormal findings and EDSS or MRI plaques (p

Overlap syndrome, which is known as the coexistence of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), was first defined by Flenley. Although it can refer to concomitant occurrence of any of the pulmonary diseases and OSA, overlap syndrome is commonly considered as the coexistence of OSA and COPD. This disease has unique adverse health consequences distinct from either condition alone. Given the high prevalence of each solitary disease, overlap syndrome is also likely to be common and clinically relevant. Despite the fact that overlap syndrome has been described in the literature for nearly 30 years, paucity of evaluations and studies limited the discussion on diagnosis, prevalence, pathophysiology, treatment, and outcomes of this disease. This review article addresses these issues by reviewing several recent studies conducted in Iran or other countries. This review suggests that overlap syndrome has worse outcomes than either disease alone. Our findings accentuated the urgent need for further studies on overlap syndrome and all overlaps between OSA and chronic pulmonary disease to provide a deeper insight into diagnosis and non-invasive treatments of this disease.

Background Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is among the leading causes of mortality and long-term disability. Prognosis assessment is a primary factor of clinical decision-making by emergency physicians. This study aimed to investigate the prognostic factors of TBI in the patients admitted to a typical emergency department. Methods This prospective cohort study was conducted involving 100 TBI patients. Baseline characteristics, including age, gender, Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS), and vital signs were recorded. Blood tests and brain CT scans were collected. The patients were followed-up three months after the date of admission. The observed outcomes were categorized as recovery without complication, recovery with complication, or death. Statistical analysis was performed using the simple and multivariate binary logistic regression in the software IBM SPSS version 19. Results The most common brain CT scan findings were subarachnoid hemorrhage (21.0%) and epidural hemorrhage (20.0%). In the follow-up performed three months after the admission, 47 patients (47.0%) had died, 39 (39.0%) were suffering from complications, and 14 patients (14.0%) were recovering without complications. Simple binary logistic regression showed that older age (OR=3.28, 95% C.I.=1.27-8.41), minor/moderate head trauma (OR=13.93, 95% C.I.=1.73-112.11), severe head trauma (OR=54.40, 95% C.I.=5.71-517.56) and presence of deep skull fracture (OR=8.92, 95% C.I.=1.04-75.53) were statistically significant predictors of mortality. Multivariate logistic regression showed that mortality chance was higher in elderly (OR=7.45, 95% C.I.=2.02-27.36), minor/moderate head trauma (OR=26.87, 95% C.I.=2.42-298.25) and severe head trauma (OR=127.97, 95% C.I.=9.11-1796.28). Conclusion This study demonstrated that severe head trauma was the most predicted risk factor of poorer clinical outcomes after TBI.

We report a rare genetic disorder case of neuroacanthocytosis with clinical profile (oro-lingual-facial abnormal involuntary movements, neuropathy) and typical magnetic resonance findings (cerebral atrophy, bilateral caudate nuclei atrophy with dilated anterior horns of the lateral ventricles), positive family history in his brother and acanthocytosis in peripheral blood smear.

Overnight polysomnography is the gold standard for the detection of obstructive sleep apnea-hypopnea syndrome (OSAS). However, it is expensive and needs attending personnel. The study of simplified sleep apnea monitoring is one of the recent trends for sleep medicine research. The proposed clinical prediction rules employ the vital and social statistics, symptoms, craniofacial traits, and obesity-related measures for initial screening of OSAS in an ambulatory setting. However, most of them are partially or completely clinical and not home-based. One disadvantage of this sort of screening methods is their inability to asses OSAS severity. Another approach of initial OSAS screening is a usage of just one or two physiological signals such as electrocardiography (ECG), pulse oximetry, snoring, nasal airflow, or even speech sound. In this study, we aimed to review the different strategies and to compare their performances, reported by means of their sensitivity–specificity and accuracy for OSAS incidence and severity. OSAS severity is determined by apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) value. Based on the data obtained from the related articles, the most accurate methods of AHI estimation exploit ECG and pulse oximetry signals.

Background and Objective: The prevalence of snoring and sleepiness increases during pregnancy and affects maternal health and pregnancy outcomes. Therefore, this study was conducted to assess the association between snoring during pregnancy and the risk of preeclampsia. Materials and Methods: This case-control study was performed among 150 pregnant women with preeclampsia and 150 healthy women referred to health centers and academic hospitals of Mashhad, Iran. Data collection tools included the information form regarding demographic characteristics, clinical signs, and laboratory findings. To evaluate snoring and its severity, the related question in Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) was applied. Statistical analysis of data was performed by independent t-test, Mann-Whitney, chi-square test, and logistic regression model. Results: There was significant association between snoring and preeclampsia (P < 0.001), so that the mean and standard deviation (SD) of snoring (Likert Scale of 0-3) in patients with preeclampsia was 0.6 ± 1.1, and in nonpreeclamptic women was 0.4 ± 0.9. The chance of preeclampsia in women with snoring was 1.73 times more than those without snoring [Odds ratio (OR) = 1.73, confidence interval (CI) 95%: 1.29-2.25]. Conclusion: Snoring is a predicting factor of preeclampsia. Thus, midwives and health workers' attention during pregnancy is recommended.

Introduction: Cerebral venous-sinus thrombosis (CVST) is a life threatening condition that needs rapid diagnosis and treatment. It appears comparatively more common in Middle East and South Asia. Objectives: To determine the demographic, clinical patterns, etiologies and prognostic factors of CVST in the North East of Iran. Materials and Methods: All adult patients admitted with a documented diagnosis of CVST from January 2011 to March 2012 in an academic hospital in the North East of Iran, entered this prospective descriptive study. The patients' demographic characteristics, clinical presentations, laboratory and brain imaging findings, treatment options were also studied. Follow-up visits were performed at month 1, 6, and then at month 12 using modified Rankin Scale (mRS). Findings were analyzed using descriptive tests and Chi square test in SPSS software version 21. Results: Sixty patients (13.3% men, 86.7% women) with mean age of 38.11±11.30 years were identified. Fifty one cases (85%) had a clinical picture of increased intracranial pressure. Causes included positive antiphospholipid antibodies in 3.3%, protein C, S and anti thrombin III deficiency in 5%, 1.7% and 3.3%, polycythemia in 1.7%, infections in 1.7%, postpartum in 9.6% of women, and using Oral Contraceptive Pills (OCPs) in 65.38%. We found 10% mortality rate on discharge and 11.9% within 30 days and 42.7% rate of death or dependency at month 12. Conclusion: The findings of the study indicate that the use of OCPs was a main factor associated with CVST especially in association with inherited hypercoagulable state.

Anti-N-Methyl-D-Aspartate-Receptor (NMDA-R) encephalitis is a new autoimmune disorder, often paraneoplastic in nature, presenting with complex neuropsychiatric symptoms. Diagnosed serologically, this disorder is often responsive to immunosuppressant treatment. We here in report the case of a 56-year-old man with anti NMDA-R encephalitis presenting initially with disorientation and hallucination. He later developed bilateral ophthalmoplegia and spastic tetraparesis. Neurological examination showed mild consciousness disturbance and bilateral ophthalmoplegia on admission, spastic tetraparesis with limbs hyperreflexia. Cerebrospinal fluid samples showed mild pleocytosis. MRI disclosed some small hypersignal lesions in the FLAIR. Anti-NMDA-R antibody was diagnosed upon detection of antibody in the serum. Psychiatrists and neurologists should pay more attention to the cranial, mental and behavioral involvement due to this potentially fatal disease.

Obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) is a common disorder characterized by recurrent apnea during sleep. Nocturnal laboratory-based polysomnography (PSG) is the gold standard test for diagnosis of OSA. The sufferers may complain from daytime sleepiness, snoring or occasional headaches. Serious consequences such as cardiovascular complications, stroke or symptoms of depression may complicate the syndrome. Headache prevalence due to sleep apnea is estimated 1%-2% in general population and affects 2%-8% of middle age population. Morning headache is more common in the OSAS patients. OSAS patients present with various characteristics of morning headache. Treatment with continuous positive airway pressure usually reduces headache. The pathophysiologic background for a relation between obstructive sleep apnea and morning headache is multifactorial. Some theories have been proposed for OSAS-related headaches such as changing oxygen saturation during sleep, cerebral vasodilation and increased intracranial pressure due to cerebral vasodilation, sleep disruption and depression but the definite cause of headaches in OSAS patients is not yet clear.

One of the factors, which is involved in obstructive sleep apnea, is anatomic or inflammatory pathologies of nasal airway obstruction. Thus, it is logical to observe improvement of polysomnographic parameters of sleep-disordered breathing after nasal surgery. The authors performed a review of the literature, up to 2013, to determine the impact of nasal surgery on obstructive sleep apnea. Most current idea in this field is based on case series studies while randomized controlled trials evaluating the effect of surgery for nasal obstruction on sleep apnea are few and far between. According to these studies, surgery for nasal obstruction does not improve objective parameters of sleep apnea. Although nasal obstruction is one of the factors involved in obstructive apnea, one has to keep in mind that surgery will not result in major reduction of obstructive sleep apnea severity to relieve nasal obstruction. Detailed upper airway analysis has to be considered when surgery is an option for obstructive sleep apnea. Thus, nasal surgeries are beneficial when they are part of a multilevel approach in obstructive sleep apnea treatment.

Background: Obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) is a common sleep disorder characterized by repeated upper airway obstruction during sleep. While respiratory pauses followed by loud snoring and daytime sleepiness are the main symptoms of OSAS, the patients may complain from sleep disruption, headache, mood disturbance, irritability, and memory impairment. However, the association of sleep apnea with anxiety and depression is not completely understood. Adherence to continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP), the treatment of choice for OSAS, may be influenced by psychological conditions, especially claustrophobia. The aim of this study was to evaluate the association of OSAS with anxiety and depression symptoms. This study also investigated the association of anxiety with body mass index (BMI) and the severity of OSAS. Materials and Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study on 178 adult individuals diagnosed with OSAS at the sleep laboratory between September 2008 and May 2012. The participants were interviewed according to a checklist regarding both their chief complaints and other associated symptoms. The psychological status was assessed according to Beck anxiety inventory (BAI) and Beck depression inventory (BDI) scoring. The severity of breathing disorder was classified as mild, moderate, and severe based on apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) which was ascertained by overnight polysomnography. Daytime sleepiness was assessed by Epworth sleepiness scale (ESS). Results: The mean (SD) age of participants was 50.33 years. In terms of sex, 85.5% of the study population were males and14.4% were females. We found no relation between sex and the symptoms of OSAS. Regarding the frequency of anxiety and depression symptoms, 53.9% of the individuals had some degree of anxiety, while 46.1% demonstrated depressive symptoms. In terms of OSAS severity, this study showed that OSAS severity was associated with the frequency of anxiety, chocking, and sleepiness (P : 0.001). According to polysomnographic results, we found that the majority of patients suffering from anxiety and chocking (66.7% and 71.4%, respectively) had severe OSAS, while only 23.1% of patients with sleepiness had severe OSAS. Conclusion: Our study showed that the frequency of anxiety in OSAS patients is higher than in the general population regardless of the gender. Furthermore, it is more likely that OSAS patients present with anxiety and depression than the typical symptoms.

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