Acoustic Pharyngometry – A new method to facilitate oral appliance therapy
European Respiratory Journal, 2008
Authors: S. R. Patel, MD, J. M. Frame, E. K. Larkin, PhD, Susan Redline, MD, MPH
Conclusion: “Our results suggest that upper airway dimensions derived via acoustic pharyngometry demonstrate substantial intra-familial correlation.”
“Acoustic pharyngometry, because of its ease of use, is ideally suited for the study of the thousands of subjects required for epidemiologic studies aimed at dissecting the genetics of OSA.”
“The overall validity of pharyngometry for assessment of
pharyngeal cross sectional area is supported both by prior work showing its ability to discriminate subjects with and without OSA, as well as the high correlation we observed between minimum CSA obtained by pharyngometry with measurements obtained by MRI.”
“In summary, this work demonstrates the utility of acoustic pharyngometry in studying the genetic basis for variability in
upper airway shape by demonstrating the substantial heritability of pharyngometry-derived airway measures. While clearly pharyngometry cannot provide detail on specific structures that impinge on the airway as can be obtained with MRI or other technologies, pharyngometry is relatively low-cost, minimally burdensome and non-invasive, and thus amenable to use in the large scale studies needed to discover genes for OSA-related traits.”
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