[Microsleep, sleepiness and driving performance in patients with sleep apnoea syndrome]

Especially during monitoring activities or car driving needing high vigilance, episodes of microsleep are extremely dangerous. Microsleep can be described by observing behaviour patterns or electrophysiological parameters. An early recognition of these episodes is desirable. In the automobile industry intensive development is ongoing to register sleepiness and subsequent microsleep during driving to avoid accidents. The monitoring of eyelid frequency and diameter of the pupil (eye tracking) are most promising. Compared with a reference population, the accident risk of patients with sleep-related breathing disorders is more than two-fold higher. But up to now there are no definitive criteria--neither subjective nor objective tests such as, for instance, driving simulators--to predict driving impairment. By means of screening examinations, patients with obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome (OSAS) should be detected because therapy with CPAP normalises the accident rate. A further measure to reduce the risk of accidents is the so-called alertness management where techniques are communicated to detect and avoid sleeping episodes.