The effect of obstructive sleep apnea syndrome and continuous positive airway pressure treatment on voice performance

Obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) may affect voice performance due to alterations that occur in the upper respiratory tract. The aim of the study was to assess the effect of OSAS and continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) treatment on voice performance. Twenty-seven patients with moderate to severe OSAS (apnea-hypopnea index a parts per thousand yen15/h) who underwent polysomnographic examination and 28 age- and gender-matched normal control subjects were enrolled in the study. The patients and the control subjects completed Voice Handicap Index (VHI) questionnaires, and their acoustic voice analyses were performed. Fundamental frequency (F0), jitter %, and shimmer % parameters were statistically compared. Acoustic analyses were performed again 1 month after regular CPAP use in OSAS patients, and the parameters before and after the treatment were compared. F0 was 160.82 Hz, jitter was 0.70 %, shimmer was 1.05 %, and VHI was 1.18 in the control group. In OSAS patients before CPAP treatment, F0 was 157.04 Hz, jitter was 0.82 %, shimmer was 1.33 %, and VHI was 13.11. These results showed that shimmer and VHI parameters were significantly worse in OSAS patients. After CPAP treatment, F0 was 169.19 Hz, jitter was 0.62 %, shimmer was 0.93 % and VHI was 5.00. The differences were statistically significant in all parameters. The acoustic parameters of OSAS patients differed from those of the normal control subjects. The patients' voice performance improved after a regular use of CPAP treatment for 1 month.