Data Analysis & Reporting Flashcards

In the final PSG report, Total Sleep Time (TST) is calculated as:

Answer: Total recording time minus all wake periods

TST equals total recording time minus all wake epochs (including pre-sleep wake, WASO, and wake after final awakening).

Which scoring rule applies when a mixed apnea transitions from a central to an obstructive pattern?

Answer: Score as mixed apnea

Events beginning with absent respiratory effort and ending with obstructive features are scored as mixed apneas.

A technologist notes chin EMG bursts lasting 0.1–0.5 seconds occurring in REM sleep. These are best described as:

Answer: Phasic REM muscle activity

Short, irregular chin EMG bursts (0.1–0.5 sec) during REM are classified as phasic REM muscle activity per AASM scoring rules.

Sleep efficiency is best defined as:

Answer: TST divided by time in bed × 100

Sleep efficiency = (TST ÷ time in bed) × 100, where time in bed runs from lights out to lights on.

During REM sleep, which finding would prompt a technologist to flag for possible REM sleep behavior disorder?

Answer: Sustained chin EMG elevation throughout REM epochs

RBD is characterized by loss of normal REM atonia — sustained or repeated chin EMG elevation during REM epochs is the key PSG marker.

What is the inter-scorer reliability statistic most commonly used to evaluate PSG staging agreement?

Answer: Cohen's kappa

Cohen's kappa is the standard statistic for measuring inter-rater agreement on categorical sleep stage scores.

A CSR (Cheyne-Stokes respiration) pattern requires a minimum of how many central apneas or hypopneas?

Answer: 3

AASM criteria for CSR require ≥3 consecutive central apneas/hypopneas with a cyclic crescendo-decrescendo pattern.