[Personality markers in patients with sleep apnea syndrome]

In addition to the well-known medically oriented examination procedures and forms of treatment of sleep apnea, we are also interested in the psychological aspects of this pathological condition. Against the background of our experience of patients treated with nCPAP--here we have observed, among other things, an increase in general activity--we investigated the question as to whether typical personality traits are to be observed among persons suffering from sleep apnoea. As a psychodiagnostic procedure, the Freiburg personality inventory (FPI-R) was employed in the following persons: a) Persons with diagnosed sleep apnea, b) persons with unconfirmed suspected sleep apnea, c) persons with diagnosed chronic bronchitis. An initial consideration of the results reveals an unremarkable personality profile of the person with SAS who, however, in comparisons with other groups does reveal certain peculiarities. Although the results presented here do not permit any reliable specific psychodiagnostic statement to be made with the aid of the procedure employed, in several points they do provide clues as to features that should be subjected to a differential investigation.