Polysomnography - what is it? Description and features

2024 Author: Howard Calhoun | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 10:16

Doctors have proven that if a person sleeps for at least seven hours of natural full-fledged restful sleep, then during this time the body has time to relax and prepare for a new day. In this case, the moment of awakening is not annoying, and there is a feeling of well-being and good mood.

In addition, during sleep in the body of people there are some processes that are important for life. It is this fact that provides physicians with material for studying the state of sleep and the changes taking place at this time in the human body. One of the specially developed methods for this is polysomnography. What it is and what its task is, we will consider later in this article.

Description and purpose of the procedure

Polysomnography requires the presence of the subject in a special laboratory. These devices are able to provide information for a medical report. What is polysomnography? This is a procedure during which special devices are connected to a sleeping patient that monitor the state of various organs.

The devices used for monitoring are:

1. Electroencephalography. Electrodes placed on the scalp transmit signals about the wave activity of the brain, which appear in the form of a graph. The method helps to identify the possibility of seizures and sleep phase.
2. Electrooculography. The study provides information about the movement of the eyes. That is, with its help, the phases of sleep, their duration and the number of interruptions are determined.
3. Thermistors. With the help of temperature-sensitive devices that show how much air passes through the mouth and nose, the moments of shallow breathing (hypopnea) and its cessation (apnea) are examined.
4. Pulse oximetry - measurement of the amount of oxygen in the bloodstream and its saturation with this gas.
5. Electrocardiography. With the help of electrodes attached to the sternum, the device transmits electrical impulses from the heart muscle, displayed on a graph - a cardiogram. This method measures heart activity (arrhythmias, blood pressure).

To make polysomnography more informative, laboratories often include additional studies of limb activity and sleep latency.

Features of the study

Violation of the sleep process doctors include among the alarming symptoms, and sometimes dangerous. After all, it can lead to disorders that directly affect the quality of human life. Such high-precision diagnostics is important not only for adults, but also for the younger generation. Polysomnography for children is performed similarly to the procedure for older patients.

Features of the procedure are as follows:

1. BUnder laboratory conditions, the subject is cut off from external stimuli, and therefore the data of the devices provide valuable information to the doctor about disorders in the body.
2. The use of modern high-frequency devices. They are set before sleep and their number can reach several dozen.
3. With the help of special programs, computers process data, which is then analyzed by a somnologist and makes a diagnosis.
4. Data is stored on electronic media and used for comparative studies.
5. Examination is carried out all night, and sometimes several nights, if the patient's adaptation to laboratory conditions requires it.

Reviews of polysomnography testify to its harmlessness so much that doctors allow the study to be carried out in the first three months of pregnancy.

Relevance of research using PSG

Somnologists all over the world recognize such a study as polysomnography. What is it for doctors of other speci alties? This is the most promising opportunity to obtain the most complete picture and comprehensive information about the state of the human body as a whole, without the influence of an external component. This is important for correct diagnosis and therefore treatment:

• ENT doctor can decide on the surgical treatment of snoring and various ENT disorders;
• neurologists use the results of the study to treat neurotic disorders, insomnia and other related pathologies;
• psychiatrists and psychotherapists, based on the results, determinesleep problems;
• cardiologists use the examination to identify the causes of disorders in the functioning of the cardiovascular system, up to the cancellation of some operations;
• it is important for narcologists to plan anesthesia correctly;
• pulmonologists correct respiratory failure.

Research is also important for doctors of other speci alties.

If the question arises of where to do polysomnography, you can turn to the Internet resources or to your therapist, who will give advice and referral for an examination.

Foundations for PSG

The main reasons doctors order this study are:

• snoring while sleeping;
• sleep-talking and night-walking;
• prolonged insomnia for no apparent reason;
• constant sleepiness;
• traumatic brain injury;
• obesity;
• unclear cardiac abnormalities;
• night terrors;
• nervous awakening;
• suspected mental disorders;
• bedwetting;
• Teeth grinding at night;
• apnea;
• epilepsy;
• developmental delay;
• tic and stuttering.

At their discretion, the attending physician may prescribe an examination for other indications.

The procedure is carried out in all major cities. Polysomnography for a child in Moscow can be done at Children's He alth Centers, and for adults - in various clinics where there is appropriate equipment, there are about forty of them. Prices onprocedures vary from ten to thirty thousand rubles.

Contraindications

Due to the fact that the method of polysomnography is not associated with intervention in the internal organs of a person, the method is not limited to use by any contraindications.

This also applies to pediatric diagnostics, since the sensors and electrodes do not cause pain or discomfort.

To avoid skewed results, there are only warnings to delay testing if:

• acute respiratory viral infections;
• acute infectious diseases of other origin;
• exacerbations of various chronic diseases.

So patients should not be scared about the procedure. Only not very low prices can scare them away.

Polysomnography in St. Petersburg can be done in any major clinical hospital, the cost of the procedure varies from four to twelve thousand rubles.

What research will show

Examination of a person's nighttime sleep can reveal the following pathologies:

1. Apnea is an involuntary sudden cessation of breathing during sleep. It is divided into central and obstructive. Polysomnography is the only accurate method in this case.
2. Disorders of the heart muscle - arrhythmias.
3. Sudden jump in blood pressure.
4. Spastic disorders in muscle tissue.
5. Disturbances in the blood circulation system.
6. Pathological changes in brain activity.

It is difficult to overestimate the importance of polysomnology indiagnosis and treatment of epilepsy. According to the results of the examination, indications are assigned and questions on the conduct of operations are resolved.

Also, such a study helps to identify the causes that cause spasms of cerebral vessels.

Preparation for examination

In order for the results of the survey to be as correct as possible, it is necessary to follow some preparation points before it:

1. Active walks, sports activities and hard work are excluded on the eve of the study date.
2. For the two weeks prior to the procedure, it is important to ensure that the correct regimen of activity and rest is observed.
3. If there is a constant craving for sleep, before the examination, it is undesirable to sleep during the day, even the minimum amount of time.
4. Before the procedure itself, you need to wash your head and body, put on clean comfortable underwear.
5. For several days before the examination, it is forbidden to use caffeine and alcoholic beverages of any strength, to take tranquilizers, stimulants and sleeping pills. Allowed to use drugs that constantly ensure vital activity according to indications.

Carrying out

The procedure is carried out at night. The patient should sleep 8-10 hours in a comfortable environment for him. Sedatives and sleeping pills are contraindicated, as they distort the result. If the examination is carried out in a hospital, then it is necessary to bring the necessary personal items.

IfIf a person suffers from daytime sleepiness, the doctor may recommend several short-term somnograms.

It is hard to relax, distract from the multiple connected electrodes for those patients who do not know what polysomnography is. It is a completely safe procedure and is important in making a correct diagnosis.

Examination includes: EEG, EOG, EMG, ECG, pulse oximetry, diagnostics of the air flow that is created during breathing, recording of sounds emitted during sleep and video monitoring.

Additionally, the parameters of body temperature, the functioning of the digestive system and the reaction to changes in lighting can be examined.

The examination is carried out in a calm environment, as close as possible to home. The room is equipped with a separate toilet, video and audio communication. When the patient is ready for bed, electrodes connected to a computer are placed on the body. Monitoring is carried out throughout the night, and in the morning, as a rule, they are allowed to go home. Restrictions after the procedure are not required, it is recommended to live in the usual rhythm.

Cost of procedure

Polysomnography is a complex, high-tech procedure. The cost of the examination depends on the location and other additional services provided in the hospital.

The price is also affected by the level of service:

• qualification of personnel;
• fullness of results;
• computer hardware;
• conditions of stay in a particular place.

Much depends onthe city where the survey is to be carried out. Standard procedure will cost:

• In Moscow clinics prices vary from 10 to 40 thousand rubles. Patients are advised to familiarize themselves with the list of services provided in advance and get a consultation with a somnologist (which is often paid separately). The examination can be carried out at home. The cost of this option varies from 20 to 30 thousand rubles.
• In St. Petersburg, polysomnography costs a little less, for example, LG Sokolov's hospital provides a service for 8.5 thousand rubles. Costs in other clinics vary from 4,000 to 13,000 rubles.
• Bringing a study in Minsk at the Center for He althy Sleep will cost about 5 thousand rubles. (or 140 Belarusian rubles). At the same time, the cost of the procedure for non-residents must be clarified by phone.

Alternatives to polysomnography

For some patients, doing a polysomnography in Moscow is a rather expensive examination. At the same time, as an alternative, doctors offer other research methods using fewer sensors. Only the attending physician can assess the necessity and importance of the procedure.

These include:

• Cardio-respiratory monitoring. This procedure involves the study of sleep disorders and is prescribed in cases of snoring and the occurrence of sleep apnea. Installed sensors record readings of a person's heartbeat and breathing during sleep. Such monitoring can be carried out at home or on an outpatient basis.
• Computer pulse oximetry. The procedure is designed to determine the amount of oxygen that arterial hemoglobin contains. The data obtained helps to detect respiratory failure in time.

Conclusion

From the foregoing, it is clear that the polysomnography procedure is a safe and extremely informative examination. It enables the correct diagnosis and the adoption by specialists of operational decisions on treatment regimens.

Despite the high cost, you should not neglect such an examination for the sake of your own he alth and the he alth of your children. After all, sleep pathologies are dangerous with serious complications. Consultation with a somnologist and examination can timely reveal deviations in human he alth.