Acoustic analysis of snoring sounds by a multidimensional voice program

Area of Science:

• Otolaryngology
• Sleep Medicine
• Acoustic Analysis

Background:

• Snoring is a common symptom associated with sleep-related breathing disorders.
• Differentiating simple snoring from obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) is crucial for appropriate management.
• Objective acoustic analysis of snoring may offer a non-invasive diagnostic tool.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate acoustic differences in snoring sounds between simple snorers and patients with OSAS.
• To evaluate the utility of the multidimensional voice program (MDVP) for snoring analysis.
• To identify specific acoustic markers that distinguish these two groups.

Main Methods:

• Prospective study including 58 patients (12 simple snorers, 46 OSAS).
• Overnight snoring sounds recorded during polysomnography (PSG).
• Analysis of 30 snores per subject using MDVP, focusing on peak frequency, soft phonation index (SPI), noise to harmonics ratio (NHR), and power ratio.

Main Results:

• Significant differences observed in SPI, NHR, and power ratio between simple snorers and OSAS patients.
• Simple snorers presented with a higher SPI.
• OSAS patients demonstrated a higher NHR and a lower power ratio.

Conclusions:

• MDVP analysis of snoring sounds is a viable non-invasive method for differentiating simple snorers from OSAS patients.
• Specific acoustic markers (SPI, NHR, power ratio) can aid in differential diagnosis.
• Development of a faster, user-friendly MDVP interface for snoring analysis is recommended.