Using the Berlin Questionnaire to Predict Obstructive Sleep Apnea in the General Population

Area of Science:

• Sleep Medicine
• Diagnostic Tools
• Public Health

Background:

• Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a prevalent condition requiring effective screening tools.
• The Berlin questionnaire is a self-administered tool designed for OSA identification in primary care.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the diagnostic performance of the Berlin questionnaire in predicting OSA within the general population.
• To assess the sensitivity, specificity, and predictive values for moderate-to-severe and severe OSA.

Main Methods:

• A population-based cohort of 242 subjects underwent home sleep studies using an Embletta device.
• The Berlin questionnaire was completed prior to the sleep study.
• Sleep studies were scored using 2012 American Academy of Sleep Medicine criteria.

Main Results:

• The prevalence of moderate-to-severe and severe OSA was 28.1% and 10.7%, respectively.
• The questionnaire identified 32.6% of subjects as high risk.
• For moderate-to-severe OSA (AHI ≥ 15), sensitivity was 58.8% and specificity was 77.6%.
• For severe OSA (AHI ≥ 30), sensitivity increased to 76.9% with a specificity of 72.7% and a high NPV of 96.3%.

Conclusions:

• The Berlin questionnaire demonstrates utility as a screening tool for OSA in the general population.
• Its good sensitivity and high negative predictive value are valuable for ruling out severe OSA.